Robin Sparks
by Delia Wolfyre
Summary: Flash! She touched her computer and each device started smoking in turn. She rolled her chair back as her beloved computer fried to a crisp...she watched as the spirals of smoke came from the top. What was wrong with Robin? Was she a freak..or a mutant?
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Technopaths control electricity and metals, basically anything relating to technology. Technopaths generally having shocking personalities, perhaps a secret they keep deeply, or a completely hidden alternate personality.

**Chapter 1**

Robin Moby removed her glasses and rubbed her temples. Her best friend Jacob was giving her a ride home in his new car but she wasn't able to be excited because strange things were happening to her. She was frying computers and making lights flicker whenever she went near an electronic device. It wasn't only scary, it was downright creepy!

"Robin?" Jacob asked in a soft tone as he took a brief look at her.

She looked up at him, "What is it?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." He said in a concerned tone of voice.

She assured him noting was wrong. He pulled up to her house and she hopped out. If there was one thing she wanted to do, it was to take a long relaxing bath so she could clear her head.

She stepped into the tub of warm water and eased herself in slowly. She allowed the warm water to remove all her stress and help her to relax but when she heard her mother calling her she became extremely agitated. She shut her eyes and sunk down in the water so that it could block up her ears. She would much rather having swimmer's ear than being disturbed at that particular moment. Her mother knocked on her bathroom door and when she heard no reply she left and went downstairs.

Robin sighed and sat up in the bathtub when she heard her phone ring. She picked it up and answered wearily.

"What are you doing in there? Your brother wants to pee." Her Mother's voice came through clearly.

"I'm trying to relax. Can't he go pee outside? He _is_ a guy."

Robin exited the bathroom moments later then went into her room to spend hours on her computer. She wondered if that cute guy she met a few weeks ago would be online…As soon as she sat in front of her desktop and pushed the power button she heard a frying noise then sparks started coming from the CPU and then, in turn, it came from each of the devices she had on the computer she moved away from her computer and screamed. Her mother and brother rushed into the room and stared at her still sparking computer.

"Ooooh…"her brother said in his annoying way, "What'd you do to it Robin?"

"Nothing!" Robin exclaimed as her cheeks turned a dark shade of red against her dark skin.

"Robin…"her mother began.

"I didn't do anything to it Mom!" she screamed and the sparks became bigger and louder until the computer eventually started smoking.

Robin's mother and brother stared incredulously at her then at the computer. She looked at them and sighed.

In only a few moments the family doctor who just happened to live across the street was giving her a check-up. After removing the stethoscope from her ears and throwing it over her shoulders she concluded that Robin was absolutely fine.

"I'm not." Robin whispered to herself as the doctor left.

"How about you call your father and ask him to get you that new computer you've been wanting?" Her mother asked handing her the cordless phone.

Robin smiled in a small way and took the outstretched phone which immediately fried to a crisp in her palm.

"What's wrong with me?" she asked in a panicked way as her mother just looked at her helplessly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

A few days later, when Robin ran from Jacob's car up to her house and flung the door open. She ran into the kitchen where she could normally easily find her mother but she wasn't there…she ran out into the living room where there was a tall red-head and a bald man sitting in a wheel chair. Her mother sat in the room with them. She stopped a bit too suddenly and was lunged forward. A force pushed her up before she could fall over.

"Robin, these are Professor Xavier and Jean Grey, they say they can help you." Her mother explained.

Robin regarded them levelly. Jean was the tall red-head with the bright green eyes and the nice smile and Professor Xavier was a nice looking bald man.

"Help me? Help me with what?" Robin asked.

"Please sit down." The Professor said.

"I don't need you to tell me that," Robin snapped, "it's my house."

Her mother glared at her as she deliberately flung her school bag next to the Jean girl. _She looks just like one of the popular girls at school,_ Robin thought then resent built up inside her. Jean didn't seem to mind and even set her bag in a way that it wouldn't fall off. That made Robin even more irritated.

She hopped over the back of the single chair and sat down as she always did, with her legs flung over the arm-rest. Her mother gave her a look that made her take her feet down. The Professor closed his eyes for a moment and nodded.

"I understand this is a confusing time for you," he said gently, "but we can help you. You see, Robin, we have a special institute where you could live safely and learn to control your mutant powers."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…mutant powers? Special institute? Control my powers?" Robin was incredulous.

"That is correct." He said with a nod.

"I don't know if I got home at a wrong time or something but my house seems more like looneyville than usual." Robin stood up and grabbed her bag, "So, I'm gonna take my bag, go back outside and come back in. Then maybe this will make some sense."

As Robin began to walk away, her mother started getting up but Professor Xavier held up a hand to stop her.

"This must be a lot to swallow. Let her take a walk and come back. She needs time to sort things out." He said.

Her mother sat back down, her mind wasn't completely at ease just yet though. It was getting dark outside and no doubt Robin would walk anywhere she felt like without thinking.

"Jean, please follow Ms. Moby."

Jean got up dutifully and left the house. She trailed Robin from a safe distance away. Robin didn't seem to know where she was going. Her mind was jumbled and cluttered and Jean could feel it without even reading her mind.

Robin soon ended up on a bad street in the wrong part of town. There were some guys standing all around the place and it was only when one approached her that she realized where she was.

"Hey, baby, watcha' doin' 'round here this time o night. It ain't safe." He told her.

She said nothing but clutched her satchel bag and made a u-turn. She was already surrounded by guys, all looking at her in ways she didn't like.

"Leave me alone." She warned, "Or I won't take it easy on you. I'm serious – that's a promise."

They kept on closing in on her. She was in between two street lights. _Maybe I can summon some type of energy from these things;_ she wondered to herself, _I am a freak after all._

"Leave me alone!" she screamed.

Jean felt that she should jump into action and started running towards her.

"I said: leave. Me. Alone!" Robin's eyes glowed a pale blue like that of a computer screen and the street lights broke and sent zaps of electricity flying around her in a hurricane like manner where she stood safely inside.

Most of the guys ran but some fell down and scrambled away from the electricity. Jean put them in force fields and drew them far away from Robin.

Robin stood in the center and got breathless as she powered down and thin spirals of gray smoke came from her head. She fell to her knees and panted, trying to catch her breath.

"Freaks!" one boy shouted when Jean released him as she ran away.

Robin could muster a bit of energy, "Yeah, that's right! You better run! I'm a freak!"

Jean went up to her and offered her a hand. Robin looked at her but got up by herself. Jean put a hand on her shoulder.

"You have an incredible ability – an awesome amount of power - but you can't control it yet. We can help you." Jean said reassuringly.

Robin pulled away, "Leave me alone." Then she started off down the road.

Before Robin knew it, she was standing in front of Jacob's house. How she got there was a mystery to her. Maybe she had teleportation powers…one could never know what a freak was like.

"Hey, Aunty Olivia," She smiled at Jacob's mother who opened the door.

"He's up on the roof." Aunty Olivia said with a smile as she stepped by and allowed her to pass.

Robin went right upstairs and into Jacob's room. She climbed through the window to find him sitting and leaning his back against the outer wall of his bedroom. He didn't look up when she sat next to him.

"I was just thinking about you." He whispered staring off at the lights of the town.

She looked up at him quickly, "Really? Why?"

He looked into her deep brown eyes and smiled smally, "Isn't it obvious?" he asked.

She furrowed her brow.

"I love you." He moved his hand gently to her face and leaned in. Robin was paralyzed as his lips came into contact with hers and he drew back as small pulses of electricity went through his lips.

His eyes lit up, "Whoa…" he whispered.

"Jake – I…" she began but he was starting to move in again for another kiss. "Wait, Jake," Robin said pulling away, "I need to talk to you."

Jacob sat back feeling slightly annoyed. He really wanted to kiss her again – such electricity. He knew she was the one. "What is it?" he asked, _And make it quick…_

"Something strange is happening." She told him looking down at her shoes as she drew her knees under her chin and hugged her shins.

"Don't be afraid – that's just love." He whispered back going in for another kiss.

"Just listen to me." She said impatiently as she gently pushed him backwards. "I'm changing – and it's weird."

"What do you mean?" Jacob asked her.

"I mean, I'm kind of…I don't know how to explain it." Robin stumbled over her words, "Okay, I'm going to show you something but you have to promise me you won't freak out."

Jacob nodded. Robin let a breath out as she stood up. She told Jacob to stand back as she tried to summon as little electrical energy as she possibly could but she ended up shooting a bolt of lightning across the street and struck a tree. She covered her mouth in panic then turned to where Jacob sat frozen in a scrambling position.

"See? This girl and a bald guy came to my house and said that they wanted to carry me to some special institute for freaks. Do you think I should go?" Robin asked her faithful best friend.

He moved slowly close to his window, "I don't care where you go."

"Jake?" she asked.

"Stay away from me you – you freak!" he rushed inside and slammed his window shut and drew the curtains.

Robin stood there dumb-founded as she stared at the closed window. Had her friend of nine years just shut her out because she had a disability…if it could be called that? She gaped at the window and saw as the fire brigade came to put out the flaming tree. She had caused it…and now she was all alone.

She felt like crying; but why would she? She was Robin Maria Moby! Nothing could make her cry! She felt her eyes burn and saw as her world became bleary. She began her descent down the tree next to the window and stood for a few moments in the darkness as tears streaked her dark skin.

A hand rested on her shoulder, "I saw everything – I'm really sorry." The Jean girl said, "We've all gone through it at one point."

_Yeah, but you're freaks. _She thought.

Jean's hand tightened after that thought of Robin's. Robin looked up at her face.

"I read minds." She informed Robin.

Robin shook her head as if trying to get Jean out of her head. The commotion across the street got more and more intense as time went by.

"We better get out of here." Jean told her. Robin nodded in agreement.

At Robin's house, her mother tried to stop herself from worrying and so turned the television on to some cheesy comedy. Just when she began to relax there was breaking news on the television right across from Jacob Mason's house.

"Oh dear, I hope they're alright." Mrs. Moby said quietly.

"There was a freak flash of lightning on this clear night in Pueblo, Colorado." The Asian news reporter said, "Some young men claim that the same girl that attacked them, with what they describe as 'wicked lightning skills', must have done this. This is what one of the boys had to say,"

A thug looking guy came onto the screen and started to talk, "She was small and cute den when me and ma boys wuz talking to da chick she like flared up and unleashed some wicked lightning powers on us, man. It wuz freaky…"

"Oh no," Professor Xavier whispered. Just when he was about to contact Jean mentally the door clicked open and Robin and Jean entered the house and came into the living room. They stood up in silence and watched as the news went on.

The next witness on the screen was Jacob himself. Robin felt her heart sink into her feet before he even opened his mouth. He'd tell them her name and then she'd be labeled a destructive freak and maybe even get arrested.

"I saw the lightning." He said, then waited as they questioned him, he hesitated, "No, I didn't see the person who did it but I bet they didn't mean to,"

Professor Xavier turned the television off and rested the remote next to Mrs. Moby who sat hunched over and sobbed into her hands. Robin felt her eyes stinging again. Her life was completely ruined.

"So you see, Robin, this is why we need to stick together as mutants."

"I'm no mutant." Robin snapped.

Robin zoned out as he explained something about an X-gene to her and her mother. She was sad and angry at the world.

"This is really up to you, your husband and Robin." Professor Xavier said, "We'll leave you to decide Robin's fate." He said in his level tone.

"It's up to you, Robin." Said her mother who knew that would be her father's exact sentiment.

"Wait," Robin said to the professor and the other chick as they left the room, "I've already come to my decision."

"Don't be hasty, Robin. You need time to think this over." Said her mother who was sure her stubborn child would say she wasn't going anywhere.

"I agree." The professor said and Jean, like an obedient lackey, nodded.

_It's not like I've got anything left for me here, _Robin thought, "I've decided that I'll go to this institute place with you."

Her little brother stumbled down the stairs with a large suitcase with a peach lacy brassier hanging out of the half open zip. "I packed your stuff for you, Robin. I've always wanted to be an only child, bye!"

As Robin rushed at her brother to strangle him, everyone started to laugh. This was the beginning of a new chapter in her life.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

As Robin rode in the coolest jet she'd ever seen, she stared out the window at the town of Westchester County, New York. She was sitting strapped in with crossed belts in the shape of an x as a white haired woman with nearly the same skin colour as her flew the jet. Jean was off getting her a drink. She was such a kiss up.

"I'm Ororo Monroe but most people call me Storm." The lady flying said.

"I'm Robin Moby." Robin replied feeling a certain connection to Storm. She wasn't racist but so far Storm just seemed like the most trust-worthy one. "Most people just call me Robin." She smiled.

Storm laughed lightly, "I'm sure you'll fit in perfectly. Kurt is sure to like you."

"Kurt?" Robin inquired.

"Oh, he's called nightcrawler. He's a fun-loving guy." Storm explained.

"Say, at this institute place…is it where I'll go to school? Do you throw parties? I love a good party." Robin grinned.

"Kitty and Rogue should like you too, just try not to have too much fun with them." Storm said and Robin joined in for a laugh.

"Who're we talking about?" Jean asked as she came back in with Robin's grape soda.

Robin almost immediately shrunk back into her shell. She took the soda and gave Jean a nod of appreciation…for the soda of course. Her presence was much less than needed. She resumed staring out the window.

"Robin wants to know about Bayville." Storm explained.

"Oh, Bayville! You're going to love it! Bayville has some of the best academics in New York as well as a huge assortment of extracurricular activities,"

"I was kind of hoping for something I _wouldn't _be introduced to at orientation." Robin interrupted with a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Oh, our mascot is the Bayville high goat!" Jean sounded happy.

Robin heaved a sigh, "Forget it." _I just hope all the kids at this place aren't as dull as this chick is…_

The jet landed out front so Robin could get a good look at the X-Mansion. It was huge…and not bad looking either. When she got to her room she put her stuff on the bed closer to the window and sat down and looked outside. There was a guy throwing and ice-Frisbee to a brown haired girl who morphed before her very eyes into a wolf.

There was laughing coming up the hall when a girl with the same complexion and eye colour as Robin stepped into the room with another girl who had brown hair and olive skin. The girl with the olive skin looked strangely at Robin before leaving and telling the other girl good-bye.

"You must be the new recruit." The brown haired girl said as she stood by the door, "I'm Amara Aquilla."

Robin nodded, "Robin Moby." She replied. Then she noticed she'd have to introduce herself several other times.

"Looks like we're roomies," Amara smiled, "that's my bed, by the way."

Robin looked around at the bed layered in her things, then back at Amara. She wasn't feeling very warm and fuzzy at the moment. She knew how she could get when she wasn't feeling friendly.

"Uh- Amara, right?"

The girl nodded.

"We're just getting to know each other and when you don't know me, so for tonight, can I please keep this bed?" Robin asked as kindly as she could muster.

"No." Amara said simply.

"Thank you." Robin said.

Beast was going down the hall when he heard Amara screaming from her dorm room. She was the only one without a roommate and so Professor Xavier had put the new recruit into her room. She sounded like trouble.

Beast knocked lightly on the door and when he got no answer, he covered his eyes and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Are you decent?" he asked with a fuzzy blue paw covering his eyes.

"Tell her to get out of my bed!" Amara shrieked pulling his paw from his eyes.

Robin lay fast asleep wrapped in her large blue sheet. It seemed that Amara's ruckus didn't even seem to bother her. Robin was snoring lightly sleeping off her jet lag.

"How about I move your bed?" Beast asked in a loud whisper easily lifting the other bed and putting it at the other side near to the window.

"But – she's in my bed!" whined Amara.

"She's new here, Amara, please let her feel welcome." Beast said then left rubbing his temples. When he was continuing down the hall and Jamie and his clones rushed by him throwing Bobby's hairbrush around and causing him to shoot ice at him…s. Bobby accidentally froze Beast into a huge block of ice.

"Sorry, Beast!" Bobby shouted.

Beast sighed, "I need a vacation."

"I suggest that we throw her a welcome party with some people from school so she can meet people from Bayville." Storm suggested to Professor Xavier, Wolverine, Jean and Scott.

"Where's Beast?" Scott asked.

"It's not like him to be late." Jean said worriedly.

Professor X used his telepathic ability to find and communicate with Beast. 'Hank, where are you?'

'I'm waiting to thaw.' Hank replied mentally.

"That's a cool idea Storm." Scott said, "That way when she gets to Bayville she'll already have a few friends."

"It is best, though, that she gets to know the members of the institute before associating with the Bayville high students." Professor X said wisely.

"Agreed." Storm said, "What do you think, Logan?"

Logan grunted.

"Jean and Scott, you will take control of this party." Storm said, "Logan, you can stay here to make sure the kids stay safe."

Logan's gruff voice came at that point, "Maybe I've got better things to do that night."

"Like what, a date?" Jean laughed.

Logan let out a low growl shutting her up, "I _might _stay. What are you going to go?"

"The kids don't want a bunch of adults at their party. I think Jean and Scott can handle it." Storm smiled at the two most responsible and developed mutants at the institute.

"We can handle it Storm," Scott assured her, "but if anything does happen I'll have Professor X on speed dial."

"Don't worry, we'll be closer than you think." Professor smiled slyly and eyed Storm who already knew the plan.

"I can't wait to tell everyone!" Jean said happily.

"Except Robin, of course." Scott whispered to Jean.

"Surprise party, good idea."

Scott just hoped Robin wouldn't realize everyone acting strange around her. It would be very intimidating to be in a new place and have everyone seem to be hiding something and being distant. Maybe it would be better to just tell a select few like Spyke, Kitty, Kurt and Rogue…


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Robin sat up with her head spinning from the blow she had just received from a mechanical arm which had sacked her in her stomach and sent her flying into a wall. _The Danger Room? _Robin thought as she slowly got to her feet, _who the hell invented this thing? _Then again she should be blaming Amara who was supposed to be covering her while she tried to disable the system.

She was standing near to the cute Puerto Rican, Roberto Da Costa code named Sunspot, and making flirty eyes at him as he held off a giant wall from crushing them.

"Amara!" Robin shouted, storming over to her, stepping onto moving projectiles and jumping over spikes so she could get closer to her. "You were supposed to be covering me while I tried to take out these dumb computers."

"Well, I'm sorry if I had better things to do." She said flashing Robin a sly look.

"Look, Princess," Robin growled as a disc was hurled from a machine across the room right at her head, her hand was covered in electric sparks as she caught the disc and clenched her fist, crushing part of it and sending volts of electricity through it that disabled it. "If we're going to work as a team that means we've got to watch each other's backs and that means you cover me if I ask you to and you can."

Amara rolled her eyes. Robin felt her anger building up.

"Can I get out of here now?" she shouted towards the control room.

"Not until you've all finished this round." called Storm's voice.

"Fine." Robin muttered going over to Roberto. "Hey, Da Costa, gimmie a boost." She winked at him when he lifted her, just to bug Amara, and he hurled her up to the highest point in the danger room, a column that shot discs from all parts of it except the top which was conveniently located in the centre of the room.

Robin focused and then punched down hard on the top of the column busting right through the centre with a strong volt of lightning.

"Take cover!" Robin warned then jumped into the machine's core.

Grabbing a few wires, she took control of the machine and shot out electrically charged discs which destroyed all the machines in the room as Bobby or Iceman encased all his teammates in hard hollow balls of ice. Robin then cut through the machine with a few volts of electricity.

The shocked faces of her teammates made her smirk. When she was determined to do something she could do it, even back when she wasn't a freak.

"Now can I leave?" she shouted up to the control room.

There was silence from the room but the doors opened and everyone began to rush out of the danger room. Robin started her walk out. Everyone patted her on the back. Roberto complimented her and she gave him a playful wink as he walked away. If there was one thing Robin knew about herself, it was that she was beautiful and she used it to her advantage.

"That was really great." Berzerker said with a slight blush as he scratched his blonde and orange hair.

"Thanks, Crispy." She smiled up at him.

Ray Crisp codenamed Berzerker was the only electronic guy around though he and Bobby both enjoyed computers. He was cute and fun, Robin liked that about him.

He swallowed hard and wished that his x-suit had pockets on them. That way he would be able to shove his hand into the pockets, feel calmer and be able to walk comfortably beside such a cute girl. Gosh, she really was cute, wasn't she?

Ray decided he could easily settle for the classic hands clasped behind his head move. It was more comfortable...unless his pits stunk with sweat...

"Do you think you could show me some of your moves?" he asked kind of shyly.

Robin laughed, "Was that a _move_, Mr. Crisp?"

Ray was taken aback – she was so to-the-point. What should he answer? Would saying yes offend her or would saying no be even worse?

"Uh – yeah?" he replied.

They were outside the danger room by then and Kurt was waving her down from the end of the long corridor. They had become fast friends, Kurt and Robin, just as Storm had said they would.

Robin stopped walking and turned to face Ray, "Maybe, Berzerker, one day in practice."

Kurt was in front of her at the next moment with a puff of smoke as his guide, "C'mon Robin." He said in his cute German accent. "Ve have to get going now."

"See you later, Berzerker, Kurt calls." Robin smiled as Kurt put his hand around her shoulder and they were gone with a puff of smoke.

Berzerker stared at the spot she was and let go a breath slowly. He'd done it. He'd successfully talked to Robin.

"Yes!" he thrust a victorious fist into the air, electricity flashed and put a tiny dent in the metal tube-like ceiling of the corridor. Then he ran off to go tell Bobby.

"Take it off Kurt, I'm sure I can handle it." Robin said reaching for it.

"No, Robin. I don't vant you to see me like zat." Kurt said moving away.

"C'mon," Robin dove at him but she dove through the puff of smoke and landed on his bed.

She got up with her hair all messed up and out of its usual bun. Kurt stood on the other side of the room laughing. She pounced at him again but this time landed in his closet on a soft bed of green pants, khaki over-shirts and red undershirts. She'd never get it off of him this way. There was one more thing she could try.

"Ow!" she screamed out, "Your hanger..." she whispered when he appeared right in front of her stooping down like he always did.

"Are vew okay?" he asked.

She glanced up with mischievous honey-brown eyes then dove for him but, no luck.

"Did vew really tink I vas going to fall for zat?" he asked with a sly smile as he hung from the chandelier on the roof.

Robin smiled and zapped the cord that held up the chandelier. He came plummeting onto the soft carpet. She grabbed at it and was successful this time. She now held his watch in her hand and was bent over his face with a knee at each of his sides. Robin's eyes lit up at his fuzzy blue face.

"I told vew," he whispered. "I don't look nice like zis."

She ran a hand along his cheek. His fur – if she could call it that – was so soft.

"Don't worry. I like this look on you. I love blue. It just happens to be my favourite colour." She smiled.

The door opened and standing at the door were Kitty, Rogue, Beast and Bobby.

"Hey guys." Robin smiled at them not noticing how awkward a position she and Kurt were in.

They all gaped at them. Kurt's clothes were ragged from all the playing and Kurt's room was a mess. The chandelier was hanging from a thin cord, Kurt's clothes were stringed across the room and his bed sheets were rumpled along with Robin's hair all over the place and her clothes turned this way and that. It looked – strange, to say the very least.

Robin rolled from over Kurt to sit cross-legged on the carpet and let go a heavy breath. Kurt sat up and Kitty covered her mouth to hold in a giggle. Rogue looked amused. Beast looked appalled and Bobby looked very questioning. As if at the worst possible moment, the chandelier fell from its thin cord.

"I'm telling you nothing happened, Professor X." Robin repeated as she sat on the armrest of Kurt's chair.

Kurt was quiet most of the time so she had to urge him to talk, "Kurt, tell him nothing happened."

"Ve vere just haffing some fun, Professor." Kurt said reassuringly.

"But my concern, Kurt, is not that you were having fun but it is that you were having the wrong type of fun. From what Beast and Rogue told me, the scene looked rather...mature for you both."

"I was just trying to get him to take it off," Robin began.

Professor X turned his head away in slight disgust.

"No, not like that!" Robin said exasperated, "I meant his watch." She said holding up Kurt's right hand with the watch for emphasis. "I wanted to see the other side he told me so much about."

"It's true, Professor. She vas vestling me to see it vich is vhy my room vas so messy."Kurt said leaning forward.

"Okay, I believe you," Professor Xavier said, "but you broke the chandelier in Kurt's room and that has to be paid for."

"Oh, no problem! I can call my Dad and he'll fly over some," Robin began.

"That isn't necessarily what I had in mind." Professor Xavier smiled at them both. "We do things a bit differently at this institute. The fountain out front could definitely do with some cleaning."

Kurt hung his head, "Yes, Professor."

Robin's eyes sparkled, "Do you really think that putting us together to clean a body of water is best after that wrestling match, Professor X? I might just wear a bikini."

The Professor smiled in a small way, "You forget I'm a mind-reader, my dear."

Robin began to sulk, "Oh yeah...well at least I'll get to hear more of Kurt's adorable accent." She pinched his cheek playfully.

Kurt laughed and the professor dismissed them so they teleported out of the room.

"What'd you two get...other than freaky," Rogue began until Kitty cut her off.

"Please, like tell Rogue that you two like didn't do anything in there." Kitty said in an almost pleading tone.

"Oh, well I can't say we didn't do anything." Robin said with a smile in Kurt's direction.

Rogue and Kitty were silent for a moment, just looking at them both. Robin and Kurt exchanged glances and smiles slowly crept onto each of their faces.

"I knew it!" Rogue said triumphantly.

"You like – didn't, right?" Kitty asked.

Kurt and Rogue bent over laughing in pain at Kitty's expression. Rogue smiled too. Kitty was so pale it was funny to see.

"Right?" Kitty repeated.

"I guess you'll never know." Robin choked through a laugh.

Robin towel dried her hair quietly as Kitty and Rogue passed her bedroom. They were talking and up until she heard her name, Robin wasn't listening.

"Robin's gonna like totally freak. It's going to be so awesome!" Kitty said, "I'm like so psyched out."

"Hush up," Rogue scolded, "don't you see we're right by her room. It's supposed to be a suprise."

_What's supposed to be a surprise? _ Robin wondered, _Then again, people around here are kind of acting weird...I wonder what this is all about. I know one way to find out._

Robin saw Ray down the hall and a smile spread across her face. She was starting to like his personality and the way he got nervous around her. It was cute.

"Hey, Ray!" she said joyously waving to him.

He turned, saw her and smiled. He stood waiting for her to catch up to him. She jogged up to his side and, in a friendly way, flung her arm around his shoulder.

"Say, Ray, want to miss the first part of dinner so I can teach you some moves?" she smiled.

He nodded.

As they threw balls of lightning to each other, Robin thought of a way to get the 'surprise' out of him but before she could make conversation, Ray started talking.

"Bobby told me about what happened between you and nightcrawler." He began.

Robin smiled distantly, "Really? What exactly did he tell you happened?"

Ray's eyes shifted from her a moment and the ball hit him. He absorbed its energy just in time or he would have really been Crisp.

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"Well no matter what Rogue tells you, I was just trying to get him to take it off."

Ray gaped at her. _Here we go again..._ she thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Robin caught up her short brown hair and looked up at her wet face in the mirror. She would be starting school two days later and though she was normally a brave girl she couldn't help feeling a bit nervous. At least she and Kitty would be in the same class. Go Bayville Seagulls! How could Jean have gotten her own school mascot wrong? _I mean a goat? Look at how far a goat is from a seagull..._Robin thought to herself.

"Robin!" Amara banged on her door, "We'd all appreciate you not living in there!"

Behind Amara were Rahne Sinclair, codenamed Wolfsbane, who desperately wanted to pee and Kitty who had her toothbrush in hand.

Robin let out a frustrated sigh. She really wanted to have some time alone but it seemed impossible in a place crawling with people. She felt a bit homesick. She _couldn't _tell Rahne to pee outside like she did her little brother...then again she _could _turn into a wolf, couldn't she?

At the next bang, Robin spun around and flung the door open, grabbing her things in one swift movement.

"Happy?" she growled through clenched teeth as she pushed past Amara.

"Actually, yes." Amara replied.

Robin stopped walking and took a deep breath. She had promised her mother before she left that she would try to be a 'good girl' but, to be honest; Amara was making it really hard for her. Amara seemed to be waiting for Robin to say something but Robin just resumed walking down the hall.

Robin had found it! The perfect place of serenity for herself: the maze outside the mansion. If she could get lost in the maze, she could possibly find herself again.

As she walked through the maze made of hedges, she breathed in the silence, the serenity, the Scott and Jean holding hands and being mushy, the smell of fresh cut grass...wait...

"Scott and Jean?" Robin wondered aloud.

They spun around fast and let go of each other quickly, stepping a few feet apart. She knew she had seen something between them at dinner. Scott was so cool. Why would he like Jean (other than the fact she was admittedly pretty)?

"Oh, hi Robin." Scott said, blushing cutely.

"Hello, Robin." Jean said, blushing annoyingly.

"I don't really want to know what was happening so let's just pretend this didn't happen, okay? Okay." Robin said continuing into the maze.

_This must be their not-so-secret-anymore meeting place._ Robin thought with a nod as she found the perfect plot of grass to sit and think. Suddenly a silver haired, blue-ish grey eyed boy was standing right in front of her with commotion following him.

"Hi." She said when she noticed he wasn't saying anything or doing anything, "I've never seen you around before."

"Uh- yeah cause I'm not exactly from around here." He said so quickly she had to mentally slow him down, "I'm Pietro. You're new?"

"Yeah, I'm Robin."

"What are you doing at this dump? I've got a better place for you than here." He said.

"Uh – what do you mean?"

He pulled out a wrinkled and grease covered card, "Here you go. You can stop by one day to see how to truly experience your mutant powers."

"Charming." Robin said holding the card in between her index finger and thumb trying to avoid the stains that looked like pepperoni and oil stains. She knew those well from helping her brother with his home work.

"Well, gotta jet." Pietro said then, in a flash of red-brown shirt and blue jeans, he was gone.

"Super speed," Robin said to herself, "Awesome. And is it me or was he really cute...?"

Scott was soon right in front of her with his hands set to lift his glasses. Robin had seen in a demonstration of the danger room what his eyes did and frankly, she didn't want to be their target. She held her hands up quickly to show her innocence.

"Did you see Quicksilver pass by here?" Scott asked urgently.

"Can't a girl get a moment by herself around this place?" she muttered.

Scott ran away and Jean soon replaced him. Just who she _didn't _want to see right now... She hung her head, already annoyed.

"You did see Pietro Maximoff, didn't you?" she said in a way that sounded more like a statement and she crossed her arms giving Robin the impression she wasn't about to leave soon.

"Yeah, cutie." Robin smiled.

"Not so cute. He's a part of The Brotherhood."

Robin could remember glancing the word 'Brotherhood' on the card.

"Card, what card?" Jean asked inquisitively.

Robin heaved a sigh and stood up, "Can't a girl get a moment to herself every once in a while? Oh, and stay outta my head!" she started to walk away.

Jean grabbed her arm to stop her from moving. Bad idea. Robin hated anyone restricting her movement. If there was one thing that ticked her off, it was being unable to move.

"Let me go." Robin said simply.

Jean swung Robin around to face her, "Not until you tell me about that card."

"Just read my mind then," Robin snapped, "that's what you always do anyways."

Jean sighed, "I don't know why you don't like me but," Robin heard nothing else.

She was staring at Jean's hand which held her arm – restricting her movement. She gritted her teeth.

"Jean, let me go." Robin ordered this time.

Jean didn't let go and so a flash of lightning shot out of Robin's eyes and went right through the line of hedges that were right behind Jean. Jean gaped at Robin. Had she just shot _at her_? Jean let go immediately.

"Thank you." Robin said with a smile as she stepped through the burning brush towards the pool.

"She's out of control professor!" Jean screeched to the Professor not even fifteen minutes later.

They were in the glass roofed cafeteria where the Professor was trying to have his lobster lunch in peace.

"I understand your concern," Professor Xavier said wiping his mouth with a crisp white napkin. _Storm isn't too thrilled about the burnt hedges either..._he thought, remembering the rain Storm had let loose over the hedge maze. "But I don't think it's genuine anger on the part of Robin, Jean, it takes a while to get used to living here. She's possibly just getting used to so many people being around her all the time."

The Professor watched Robin who lay with her eyes closed at pool side when Jamie Madrox codenamed Multiple, and his clones all cannoned ball into the pool at the same time soaking her in her t-shirt and shorts. The Professor could see the anger on Robin's face but then her face softened and she began to laugh with Jamie. Getting a running start, she dove into the pool with the Jamie clones. Professor Xavier smiled.

Jamie was the youngest of all the mutants in the X-Mansion and often got left out of the dangerous 'fun' the new recruits had. It was nice to see how Robin played around with him and his clones though starting a splash fight with seven Jamies wasn't the wisest thing to do.

"Well the hedge fire can't possibly go unpunished." Jean insisted.

"I don't believe it can." Professor X said just to get her to leave. He loved Jean but at times she could be a bit overbearing.

"You wanted to see me, Professor X?" Robin asked poking her head into his office.

"Yes, Robin. Have a seat."

She sat. "Wow, in the Big Man's office two days in a row. I can bet this isn't the regular thing. Honestly, I'm trying to get used to this place but it's just so – different from home, you know?"

The Professor nodded understandingly, "Yes, but that's not reason to go blasting off at anyone."

"I'm really sorry but I didn't mean to. That was my usual glare then _that_ came out."

"Perhaps you should get some more help with controlling your powers before you enter school. I know just the man for the job." The Professor smiled.

Robin had never met someone so terrifying and cool at the same time. He was so rugged and hot-headed...not to mention scary.

To think, she would get training from THE Wolverine! From what she heard from the students he was tough but a great teacher. She could deal with that.

Robin was sore all over before the end of the session, not to mention burnt to a crisp. He'd used mirrors on her and got her really angry but if she so much as sent a spark flying in bounced back on her. It was like torture shock therapy.

It helped though. She was now able to control electrical discharge though she felt a slight electrical shock whenever she got even the slightest bit peeved.

She was cured.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note**

This is my longest chapter so far. Enjoy!

**Chapter 6**

Kitty and Rahne rushed around to put up decorations with the help of Evan Daniels codenamed Spyke who shot tiny spikes into them to keep them in place. Bobby, Jamie and Ray dealt with the snack table while Jean and Roberto hid the valuables. Rogue and her early arriving friend Risty Wilde were around the sound system choosing several CDs to play later on in the party. This party was going to be a great success if all went as planned.

"You know, her coming here could be a good thing." Smiled Evan as he rolled behind Kitty on his skateboard and shot spikes as they were needed, "Professor X is even letting us have a party!"

"And no adults are gonna be here!" Rahne said high-fiving Evan.

"Except Logan." said Jubilee passing them with a box of CDs on her way to the stereo.

"Rumour has it," Kitty began, "That _Storm _suggested we have the party."

"No way, Aunty O?" Evan asked as he seemed unbelievably surprised, "That's not like her."

"Yeah, she's, like, being really nice and stuff to Robin. Seems like she ,like, likes her." Kitty smiled and nudged Evan playfully, "Maybe she found you a girlfriend."

Evan laughed good-naturedly, "Robin's cute but she's not my type."

"Plus, Kurt would kill you!" Rahne laughed.

Ray frowned as he heard that in passing to the kitchen with a huge bag of chips in hand. Kurt and Robin were getting awfully close...almost too close for comfort. They had asked _Kurt_ to keep Robin occupied in the city today while they got ready for the party; _Kurt_ was the one that got the cash to take her out for ice-cream; _Kurt_ was the one who spent the most time with her; _Kurt_ was obviously the one she liked - not him.

He dropped the bag on the kitchen counter acquiring a good scolding from Bobby and Jamie.

"Hey, careful with those! They're fragile." Jamie exclaimed.

"_No one_ likes crushed chips." Bobby added.

"They're always crushed in transport, anyways." Ray said leaning nonchalantly on the counter.

"Maybe we should only serve the _un-crushed_ chips to our guests. We wouldn't want to be rude." Bobby said with a sly smile.

"But...what about the crushed ones?" Jamie asked, not yet catching his rift.

Bobby gave him and Ray sly smiles. Ray chuckled and Jamie smiled, finally getting it. Bobby stretched for the bag but before he could catch it, it was floating above their heads.

"Don't even think about it, boys." Said Jean as she telepathically ripped the bag opened and put all the chips in a bowl. "When the party starts you can have some.

They all slouched and groaned. Those were nacho cheese flavoured...delicious! Jean decided to cut them a break and gave them a few ships each.

"Hey, you got more than me!" Jamie observed staring at Bobby's hand with the chips in them.

"I'm older, so it's only fair."

"No it's not. Give me a few." Jamie insisted.

"No." Bobby replied simply.

Jean left with a smile on her face and a shake of her head. Before either of them could notice he had the most chips, Ray shoved them all in his mouth and started to chew.

Bobby easily held Jamie back with one hand as he ate his chips, one by one, slowly. Jamie multiplied and he and his clones all dove on top of Bobby, scattering chips everywhere.

Ray moved the bowl out of the way as one of the Jamies was flung onto the counter. He munched on another chip from the bowl as he stared off in space and wondered what Robin and Kurt were up to.

"So this is the infamous Bayville High School." Robin said with a nod and a smile as she stood before the Bayville High main building. "Do they have a girl's soccer team here? I'd definitely try out."

Kurt nodded, "Ja. Jean is ze captain."

"Never mind," Robin mumbled.

"She's really not all zat bad, Robin." He insisted.

"Yeah, but she is annoying." Robin said leaning onto Kurt's chest tiredly, "Can we go home now?"

"Tired already, slof-pogg?" Kurt laughed.

"Slof-pogg?" Robin wondered, "Oh, you mean slow-poke! _I'll _show _you_ slow-poke! Race you to the football field we saw on the way." She said starting to run already.

"Cheater!" Kurt said teleporting next to her and continuing to run.

"Hey, no powers!" Robin said with a laugh.

Kurt smiled and was gone in a puff of smoke.

As Robin ran, she glanced behind her to see if Kurt was there but he was nowhere in sight. Cheater...

Kurt was actually back at the house checking up on things. He was outside with Scott who was out front shining hid red convertible sports car with two white streaks on the top and front.

"How's it going, Kurt?" Scott asked when Kurt appeared with his feet up on the dashboard in the passenger seat.

"Good." Kurt said as Scott used the rag to snap his leg so he took it off the dashboard, "I'm razing her around ze School to ze football field. How far are ve? I'm running out of tings to do vith her."

"C'mon Kurt, she's your girlfriend. You _must _be able to find something to do!"

With blush in his cheeks, Kurt replied, "Ve're not together!"

"Right...this is me, Kurt. I think I'd know when a girl and a guy are together." Scott said with a smile.

Kurt looked up at him, "Zen are vew and Jean together."

Scott's smile turned into a scowl, "Get out of my car and go keep her occupied until we're ready."

Kurt smiled and was gone in a puff of smoke.

When Robin turned around this time, she bumped into a large muscular guy with a scraggly appearance with brown hair and eyes in a black shirt with a brown vest, faded jeans with holes in the knees and a scowl on his face. He didn't look too friendly but had the unusual charm of a stray dog.

"Watch where you're going." He growled.

She didn't want to say anything just yet.

He scowled at her and his eyes rolled over to only show the white sclera as he stretched an arm out to her and the earth started to shake. The ground started to open up and she did the only thing she could think of, she sent a flare like shot of lightning into the air. Maybe Kurt would see it and come save her; hopefully Kurt would see it and come save her.

Her breath got caught in her throat as she helplessly began to fall to her doom into the fault. She closed her eyes and wished silently for rescue that someone – anyone – would come save her. She felt herself moving somewhere other than down.

She opened her eyes and clung on for dear life to Pietro's shirt as she buried her face into his chest. He was carrying her bridal-style at a speed she didn't know of outside of cars. He stopped before the scary guy and just then, the speed got to her and she passed out.

"Jeez, look at what you did now. What's your problem? Your Kitty used you as a chew toy or something?" Pietro asked at his usual fast speed as he still held her.

"Isn't she one of those X-men? She set off some lightning a while ago." Lance said ignoring his statement.

"Lightning? Really? So that's why Mystique wants her." He said to himself.

"What?" Lance asked.

"Let's take her to the house before one of the X-dunces come to get her." And Pietro was gone in a flash.

Kurt arrived at the school's football field but couldn't find Robin anywhere. He checked all along all the routes but still couldn't find her. He'd lost her...why, why, why had he lost her? _How _could he have lost her...? Unless something bad happened... No, nothing bad could have happened, right? Robin was a girl completely capable of taking care of herself...wait, what was that?

Kurt spotted a huge fault in the earth, no doubt caused by Avalanche. If he'd gotten hold of her and he was in a bad mood he _would_ send her plummeting to her death in a hole.

Kurt pushed his head over the side of the fault. It was dark down there...very dark.

"Robin!" he screamed down the hole, "Robin!" he shouted again and paused to listen but the only thing that greeted him was an echo.

Who was he kidding? No one could survive a drop down a fault that deep. He was about to panic. What was he going to do? He'd left his new friend alone and now she was at the bottom of a hole, possibly dead...

"Got to get Scott." Kurt urged himself aloud though he didn't move yet.

Scott would think he was irresponsible and Kurt would hate that label but he had to do _something. _She was dying down there! Going down alone would be stupid...

"Oh, good Kurt, you're here. You can go get Robin now; we're all set up." Scott smiled to him.

"Avalanche sent her down a huge fault!" Kurt said to Scott urgently as he puffed into the X-mansion's festively decorated living room.

"Not Lance! He, like, wouldn't do that to her for no reason." Kitty defended.

"Maybe she shot at him – it's obviously not uncommon for her to do." Jean said.

"Who cares how it happened? She's stuck!" Amara said panicking, "We _have to_ go get her."

"I thought you didn't even _like _her." Jubilee said

"I don't but who will I fight with?" Amara replied shakily.

"Okay, everybody calm down." Scott said taking charge, "We'll just have to go get her. I'll need Kitty and Kurt and probably you too Jubilee, we're going to need some light."

As everyone bustled about, getting ready for a search and rescue mission, the party people began arriving.

"Hey, Rogue, can I trust you and Bobby to hold the fort until we get back?" Scott asked Rogue who was now in the kitchen with the boys hovering over the snacks for the party.

"Sure, but what are you gonna do?" she drawled.

"We're going to go on a search and rescue mission." Scott said then ran off.

"What's going on?" Bobby asked Rogue who just shrugged.

"Hey, Jubilee, where's the fire?" Ray asked stopping her.

"Robin's stuck in a fault. We're going to go save her." Ray could hear the excitement in her voice but he felt the sinking feeling in the pt of his stomach. Robin was in trouble.

Robin groggily awoke to a dilapidated room that she thought should be condemned. She was on a bed in the room where the wallpaper was stripping from the walls but the sheets seemed clean...enough. She sat up quickly and a damp rag fell to her lap. Her head hurt and the room was spinning.

_Rugged boy. Fault. Fall. Pietro..._ it was all coming back to her. Pietro had saved her life from the death that was inevitable had she fallen into the fault. She couldn't walk yet so she just lay back down and closed her eyes to process things...including where she assumed she was.

Downstairs, in the equally as, messed up living room, the boys of the brotherhood lazed around discussing the girl upstairs in Pietro's bed.

"She's a mutant too. She could join us." Pietro insisted.

"Not to mention she's cute." Toad said concentrating on a fly flying around his head.

"Uh - I don't know." Blob said, "She's an X-Men girl."

"Finally, someone who agrees with me!" Lance said, "It's like Pietro likes her or something."

"Hey, don't think I'm getting soft boys. She's an asset. She's a powerful mutant and I can bet you Mystique would have our necks if we had her in the house and let her go." Pietro put forward a convincing argument.

"But you know the X-men are gonna come to get her and we always lose." Lance said, making another valid point.

"So maybe one of us can get close to her and get her to willingly join the Brotherhood. You know if she wants to that Professor guy won't _make _her stay at that institute." Pietro suggested.

"Oh, oh, I'll do it!" Toad volunteered jumping up and down.

"If she wants you around, she must have gotten brain damage when Pietro was prancing around with her in his arms." Lance said kicking Toad.

"How 'bout Pietro? We had to pry her off his shirt to get her to lie down." Blob suggested.

"Oh no way, big guy. I'm not going around pretending I'm some girl's play toy. Why not make Lance do it? He's used to being all googly-eyed over X-Men girls." Pietro smiled.

Lance narrowed his eyes at him, "I don't even know her name."

"Her name's Robin. I think that's enough to work with." Pietro said.

"No way. You saved her life. Chicks are into that kind of thing, she'll take to you."

The fly Toad was watching perched on the railing of the steps. He leapt over there and snagged it with his sticky slime covered tongue.

"Eww..." Robin gagged as she stood on the middle step.

"Oh, you're awake, my love. I'm Todd Tolansky." He said leaping next to her and standing there.

"Why would I even want to know your name? You smell like swamp with garbage dumped in it." She pinched her nose and continued down the steps until she saw a familiar face.

"Pietro. Thank God I found you!" she ran up to him and spotted Lance out of the corner of her eye. "You!" she exclaimed holing a threatening hand towards him as she jumped backwards into Pietro's chest, "Don't make me hurt you."

Lance held up his hands causing her eyes to glow a bright computer-screen-like blue. He put his hands behind him.

"I'm not going to hurt you. You caught me at a bad time. I'm Lance." He said.

"And I'm Fred." An absolutely humongous guy said from a torn up couch.

"Why are these guys introducing themselves to me like I was to know their names?" Robin asked Pietro.

Pietro grinned. He could get used to having this girl around more often and come to think of it, she was kind of cute.

"Where am I?"

"You're at the brotherhood House!" Pietro announced to her.

"You're kidding?" Robin asked quizzically.

Pietro shook his head and Robin burst out laughing. She held her stomach, she bent over and she laughed wholly and fully. Pietro had never heard something so beautiful. Part of his ice heart melted as she clutched on to his shoulder to support herself.

"And you called the X-Mansion a dump," she gasped through her laughs.

She felt the tension in the room heighten and slowly stopped laughing to meet stone faces. She wasn't scared anymore. They were obviously just insecure bullies. She had dealt with her fair share at her former high school.

"Listen, Max," she said coming up with a nickname on spot for Pietro, "I appreciate the offer but I think a Biohazard team would have to check this place out before _I _live here. Why don't you come live with us at the Institute? I'm more than certain that Professor X would love another mutant to help me wash the fountain." She looked around at the rest of them, "In fact you could all come live with us." She waved her hand around the room at them, stopped when she got near to Toad and came back to Lance and Fred.

If only Robin knew how truly complicated what she had made sound so simple was... Pietro took her outside, alone.

"The reason I invited you to come stay with us is _because _I – we - don't like the X-Men. They're a bunch of stuck up mutants that think humans and mutants can live together in harmony." Pietro explained.

"And can't they? They've been doing it for years." Robin countered, stepping closer to him.

He shook his head pitifully, "We only live like that because the humans don't know. They've already poisoned your mind. Mutants are superior to humans. Why should we have to sit away in hiding while they roam free and persecute anyone different? We can make a change, Robin: Me and You – and the rest of those dopes. I know they seem obnoxious and dumb now but they're mutants too and together we can enslave all humans."

She smiled, "I like the 'me and you' part but everything else sounds pretty messed up to me." She touched his nose gently, "My parents and my brother are human and though having my brother clean up after me sounds fun I couldn't do that to him. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, whatever." He said stepping away from her when he noticed the guys looking out the window.

"Max," Robin began but a flash of red light knocked him into the wall of the Brotherhood's incredibly weak-looking outer wall.

Robin was surprised the entire house didn't fall down. Soon, Scott, Jean, Kitty, Kurt and Jubilee were standing in front of the house and so were Lance, Fred and Toad. Robin figured the light had come from Scott who was now in his X-Men outfit.

Maybe it was better to use codenames when they were in costume.

Robin turned and saw Pietro getting up. She ran to help him up.

"I told you she was trouble." Lance snapped to Pietro.

"Get away vrom her!" Nightcrawler shouted disappearing and reappearing beside Robin who he touched and had back with the X-Men on the other side in another puff.

"Wait, what about Pietro, he might be hurt." She said to Nightcrawler's blue face as she pulled away from him.

"Robin, he's dangerous. He's part of ze brodderhood." Nightcrawler said.

"So?" she tried to get back over there.

"Stand down." Scott told the X-Men present, "We have Robin so there's no need to fight."

"I don't think that's what they're thinking." Kitty exclaimed as Blob rushed at them with a huge chunk of pavement in front of him.

Nightcrawler teleported them away, to another part of the house where Pietro soon stood.

"Hey, I don't want her hurt anymore than you do." Pietro said calmly.

"Zat's vat you say now." Nightcrawler said knowing that Pietro was always betraying people.

"Get her out of here." Is what he said next.

"I intend to." Nightcrawler replied.

Robin wasn't enjoying being talked about like she wasn't there and so ran off into the brush before any of them could react.

"See vat you did now?" Nightcrawler asked.

Pietro rolled his eyes and set off after Robin. He found her running on towards the school. He caught her and held her gently by both her arms.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"The football field." Robin said.

Pietro furrowed his brow but took her up, none-the-less, "I'll take you there. Hold on."

Robin did as he said, held her breath and buried her face into his chest. A few seconds later they were at the field. He put her down.

"See you around." She said smiling at him breathlessly – travelling at super speed in the arms of a hottie mutant really took ones breath away.

He winked and was off in a flash. Robin stood there to wait on Nightcrawler.

He finally appeared and hugged her in sweet relief. She was okay. He knew Pietro had caught up with her but she was okay.

"Tank goodness vew are okay." He said to her.

"Nightcrawler, I have something really important to tell you." She said seriously making him release her and look deep into her eyes. He was concerned. Was she hurt?

She leaned in and whispered "I vin."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Kurt teleported Robin to her bedroom which was adequately sound proofed and a really cute outfit was laid out on her bed. Kurt left before she could ask any questions. She could recognize a lot of the clothes from the other girls' wardrobes. Robin wasn't a huge fan of fashion but she could be really girly when she was ready.

The outfit made her eyes sparkle with glee. She had a sparkly black low cowl neck form-fitting black top from Amara's closet, black capris with a cute lightning bolt chain link belt definitely Rogue's style, nice strappy tan wedges with three inch heels obviously from Kitty, beautiful lightning bolt drop star earrings she knew to be Jean's, a short lightning bolt necklace from Rahne and a chargeable lightning bolt ring which glowed in the colour of her eyes but she didn't know who that one was from.

She rushed to the bathroom; upstairs was totally clear and void of all human life. She took a nice hot shower and then styled her hair in a way she loved: up in the top with two curly spirals of hair falling in her face and the rest of her short hair up in top with lots of spirals trailing down the back of her head.

She clipped the front with one of her favourite lightning bolt clips and then put on her outfit. The other one was somewhere special...She looked proudly into the mirror at herself. She looked really nice.

"Nock, nock." Came Kurt's voice came from the other side of the door.

"Come in." She said turning to face the door.

He came in and smiled at his friend, "You look beautiful, Robin." He said smiling at her.

She grinned back, showing two rows of pearly white teeth, "Thanks Kurt." She kissed him on the cheek. "Now, how about a few pictures to send to my Mom?"

They took loads of goofy pictures and a few serious ones before Kitty rushed into the room through the door and tackled her, giving her a big hug.

"You look, like, gorgie!" she said happily.

"Thanks." Robin smiled, "Thanks for the shoes." She put her foot out for Kitty to see. "I'll take good care of them."

"I'd hope so. They were my favourite pair but I guess letting them go will be good for me."

"They're mine now?"

"Yeah, the entire outfit is. We girls all put it together and even Amara chipped in to help. We knew you'd look hot in it. Doesn't she, Kurt?" Kitty turned to look at Kurt for a reply.

"I'll go tell everyone she's ready." Kurt said disappearing in a puff of smoke.

The girls laughed.

"This party is going to be awesome and I've got, like, tons of people to introduce you to. You'll probably be the most popular girl at BHS after _this_ party." Kitty smiled pulling her towards the steps down to the main section.

"People from school are here?" Robin asked kind of nervously.

"Yeah, you'll love them...except probably Jean's boyfriend."

"But I love Scott..."

"No, her _actual _boyfriend. His name is Duncan Matthews. He's a bit of a jerk." Kitty explained.

Pietro picked at a piece of pizza Toad had brought in a few minutes after the battle with the X-Losers. He didn't really feel all too comfortable eating something Toad brought in especially since he ordered it from a pizzeria in an alley that often had bugs in the cheese, which is why – he guessed – Toad liked their pizzas.

He bit in when he thought it was safe and heard a loud crunch. He spat out the pizza immediately and saw the head of a cockroach squirming as it was trapped under some gooey, oily cheese. He sped to the bathroom to wash his mouth out. Pushing Lance away from the sink, he rinsed and rinsed and rinsed trying to get rid of the rancid taste. It turned out, though, that the taste of cockroach is really hard to get out of your mouth.

"Hey, I was brushing!" Lance protested holding his foam covered toothbrush in one hand and having foamy toothpaste splash out on the sink.

"What's the occasion?" Pietro asked with a sly smirk.

"Get out." Lance snapped pushing him away from the sink where he continued brushing.

"Going to see your kitty-kat?" Pietro teased.

"Yeah, and your love-bird too," Lance said spitting a big glob of white foam into the sink then rinsing his mouth.

"Robin's gonna be there?" his voice had lost some of its sarcasm and softened.

"Duh, it's at their mansion. Kitty said I'd better lay low when I get there 'cause no one knows she invited me."

"I'm coming." Pietro declared racing upstairs to change his clothes.

"Whoa!" Lance said rushing up the stairs after Pietro, "she specifically said I shouldn't bring any of you guys."

"Don't worry, you're not bringing me, I'm going on my own." Pietro said smiling.

"Just stay outta sight and be careful," Lance warned turning and heading down the rickety stairs.

"Don't I always?" he asked rushing over to his closet and picking out a black shirt instead of his usual, just for fun. It was a party...

When he went over to his bed to grab his wallet he saw something silver and shiny on his pillow. He took it up and saw that it was a lightning bolt clip just like the one Robin wore. He smiled to himself. He'd definitely _have _to return it when he got to the party.

The room fell silent and the music turned down as did the lights when Kitty appeared at the top of the stairs and got a spotlight.

"Like, hey everyone!" Kitty said excitedly with a bright smile and a microphone at her mouth. Lance stepped in through the door discreetly and joined the crowd but Kitty saw him and so her smile brightened a degree, if that was even possible..."As we all know this is a welcome party for the newest member of the institute, ROBIN MOBY! Give it up for Robin!" she stepped aside and Robin stepped into the spotlight.

Some guys eyes sparkled at the new meat...and she was pretty too. The girls beamed at her fashion sense but some knew she was trouble by the way some guys looked at her.

"Hey, everyone." Robin said into the microphone sounding a bit shaky. The she saw a familiar flash of silver hair pass through the door. _Pietro..._ she thought then her smile brightened and the real Robin began to shine trough, "Thanks to my friends for throwing this party. Ve are gonna haff so much fun." In honour of Kurt who she winked at, "It's, like totally awesome of them!" she said in honour of Kitty, "Since I know ya'll didn't come here to hear me jabber," in honour of Rogue, "LET'S PARTY!" she said in honour of all her other friends.

The music got louder and the lights intensified and disco lights like those from a club started flashing everywhere. Robin hopped onto the railing of the steps and slid expertly to the bottom where guys pushed to help her down when she got to the bottom but a cute blonde got to take her down by holding her by the waist.

"Thanks." She winked at him then disappeared into the crowd to mingle and hope to bump into Pietro.

Meanwhile, Ray watched his new crush dazzle almost all the guys from his school and he scowled. This wasn't good.

He took up a chip and turned to his friend from school, "This party was a bad idea." He told him.

"Why? It'll help your hottie new crush get to know people at school." He smiled over to the crowd of guys surrounding Robin as jealous girlfriends stared on.

"Exactly." Ray mumbled taking a bite of his chip with a loud angry crunch.

Another rock song started to play and the next thing he knew, Robin was grabbing him by the hand and begging him to dance with her.

"Who? Me?" Ray asked incredulously.

"Yes, you Mr. Crisp." She said doing a little half-dance as she held on to his hand.

"But," Ray began.

"C'mon, Ray, I won't bite and we're missing this awesome song." She urged giving him an encouraging tug.

Ray looked to his friend who gave him an encouraging smile and Ray allowed himself to be pulled to a semi-clear spot on the dance floor.

Robin danced wildly with Ray, giving him a lot to look at. She could dance – not anything spectacular but he couldn't take his eyes off her. Didn't she know how awesome she looked and how much it was killing him that he couldn't tell her he liked her? Apparently not.

"Loosen up, Ray" she shouted over the music as she flashed her head this way and that.

Ray did and they had an awesome dance.

Pietro leaned on the snack table sipping some punch and watching Robin dance with a blonde guy with orange hair at the front of his head and plugs in his ears. Plugs, really? His studs were way sexier than _that guy's plugs_...but Robin could dance with anyone she wanted. Who was he to try and stop her? She wasn't his girlfriend or anything. He squeezed the lightning bolt clip in his hand...or maybe she just wasn't his girlfriend _yet._

"Hey, can I cut in?" asked Roberto as the song changed.

Ray and Roberto stared each other down. Ray knew Roberto liked Amara and was possibly just asking to dance with Robin to tick him off. All the guys except Kurt knew that Ray liked Robin and Roberto and Ray were already not on good ground with each other.

Ray stepped away, refusing to say anything and let Roberto dance with Robin. They had so much fun. It made Ray want to gag.

Robin spotted Amara who was looking really sad in a corner alone and Pietro who was looking right at her. She held up a "give me one second" finger to Pietro then asked Roberto for a moment. She ran off to Risty who was operating the music and requested a slow song.

She ran back to Roberto and they started to slow dance with her hands around Roberto's neck and Roberto's hands around her waist. Pietro felt his throat tighten. She'd told him to hold on so that he could stick around to watch her slow dance with another guy?

The Robin signalled Amara over. Then she handed Roberto over to Amara and gave her a playful wink. Amara smiled at her and started slow dancing with Roberto with a grin plastered on her face.

Robin went over to the snack table and started munching on chips, pretending she didn't see Pietro for the sake of his safety.

"What are you doing here?" she asked softly.

"Thanks for the warm welcome."

She laughed, "You know they don't want you here, Max."

He liked that she called him Max. No one else called him Max. It made her all the more special but he couldn't tell her that and ruin his tough guy reputation!

"I go lots of places I'm not wanted." He stated matter-of-factly.

She smiled, "Just here for the party?"

He shrugged, "More for the food." He waved a chip around before putting it into his mouth. "It's Toad's night to get food."

"No need for further explanation." She said with a grimace. "So, you're definitely not here for me, then?" she hinted with a playful smile.

He smirked, "If you were edible, I would be."

She laughed, "Oh, I see."

The she started to walk away. He ran after her...at relatively normal human speed, "hey, where are you going?"

"Oh, to find someone who wants to be around me even though I'm _not _edible." She said with a nonchalant wave of the hand.

"I'd tell you that you look spectacular tonight and that you're the _real _reason I'm here but I can't because it'd ruin my sarcastic, none caring reputation." He said shoving his hands into his pockets.

He smiled and tackled him with a hug. He stood there, taken aback at her reaction but hugged her none-the-less. He didn't really care who was watching just at that moment. Then she pulled away all too soon and smiled up at him.

"You don't need to pretend around me, Max. I know you're really a sweet guy under all that sarcasm." She told him.

"You have no proof of that." Pietro said with a genuine smile.

Robin gently took his hand and opened it and she saw the clip. She smiled knowingly up at him. He looked away quickly.

"I just brought it to return it. I didn't know why you'd leave your stuff all over my spotless room."

Robin raised an eyebrow at him and put her hands on her hips.

"It has a place for everything which is why I noticed this clip...here, just take it." Pietro extended the clip to her.

"Nah, you keep it." She told him.

He smiled and shook his head. Robin sure was something...he just didn't know what.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

It was two months after the party when Robin, Kitty, Spyke, Rogue and Nightcrawler found themselves cruising down the road in the X-jeep they 'borrowed' heading for the beach on a winding mountain road with tunes blasting and them singing at the top of their lungs.

It was supposed to be a day of complete relaxation after what they had to go through with Logan, Beast and Storm that week. They were worked to the bone in training and had convinced a sleeping Scott to lend them the X-jeep for their little joy ride.

"I can't believe you even got him to throw in gas money!" Spyke laughed to Kitty and Robin.

They had been the masterminds who had gotten in and out of Scott's room undetected and gotten him to lend them the jeep. Robin leaned back in the front where Rogue was driving and hi-fived Kitty.

"That's just how we roll." Robin laughed.

Pietro lay on the roof staring off in the distance thinking about the only thing that he had been for the past two months. Why was she always on his mind? What about her was so special? Was it her beautiful laugh or her unusual wit? He didn't know what it was but if he didn't get her off his mind he'd lose himself in her. He'd stopped caring as much about himself and had started even wanting to keep her safe. That wasn't the Pietro he knew. The Pietro he knew was an opportunist to his own will and convenience.

He heaved a sigh and closed his eye then he saw her laughing face. Jeez, he was so hung up...he felt like...like – Lance! That definitely wasn't a good thing. He needed to get back to himself – to care about him and only him again. He needed to rid himself of Robin...but how?

Since recently, they'd spent so much more time together and he'd enjoyed every moment of it. He loved that feeling but dreaded his new found weakness.

How could he combat this dreaded emotion that flooded him every time he saw her or even thought about her and whenever she touched him...

"I've gotta do something about this..." he said allowed, "Before she slows Quicksilver down."

Kitty spread out her towel in between Rogue's and Robin's. Then lay down in her cute purple hibiscus patterned bikini.

Because of Rogue's power, she wore a tightly meshed top over her bikini and capris with socks. She couldn't risk taking out anyone that ran and bumped into her. Robin felt sorry for her and sat in her halter top and shorts. It felt weird being at the beach. She usually only went with her family when her father came from his company's headquarters in Japan.

Kurt and Evan were already rocketing it into the water, just dropping their things near the girls and stripping down to their boxers as they went along. Kitty shook her head and laughed then the girls just sat in the sun chatting...actually, Rogue was under her umbrella while Kitty tried to tan. Robin leaned back and stretched out on the sand and closed her eyes. She saw Pietro's smirking face in her mind. He was just so adorable!

A shadow covered her face and she didn't bother to open her eyes but just scowled and tried to flash the person away. She liked the feeling of the sun on her face.

"Want me gone so soon, Robin?" asked a familiar voice Robin didn't want to hear.

Robin couldn't believe her eyes when they popped open. It couldn't be; but it was: Jacob. She scowled at him.

"Who's he, like, your ex-boyfriend or something?" Kitty asked playfully.

A blush crept onto Robin's face, "No! Never!" she exclaimed, "What are _you_ doing _here_?" Robin snapped.

"To think, you haven't seen you best friend in over two months and this is how you greet him." Jacob smiled taking one of Robin's hands in his.

"Get away from me, you creep!" Robin shouted pulling her hand away from him.

Kurt and Evan rushed out of the water to see what all the commotion was about. Kurt didn't like the way Jacob was holding Robin.

Jacob held on tight though, "C'mon Robin, we need to talk."

"I don't want to talk to you." Robin said pulling away but he still clung on.

"But we need to. I have something to tell you." Jacob whispered.

Robin still tried to pull away from him, "Let go, Jake!"

"Robin,"

"I thing the lady said vew should let her go." Kurt said stepping in.

"I'm a freak too." He whispered to Robin, "I'm really sorry for what I did..."

"Let's go guys." Robin said finally pulling away from him, "I don't know what kind of sick joke this is Jake, but just stop it, okay?"

With that, they left for home.

"I'm really sorry for ruining your day guys...I just couldn't stand to be on the same beach as that guy."

"Vat happened?" Kurt asked.

Robin sighed and began to tell the story about the night she went to his house and he shunned her.

"That creep!" Kitty exclaimed.

"That wasn't cool, man." Evan added.

The next thing they knew, Jacob was in front of the jeep. Rogue wasn't slowing down.

"Waant me to run him over?" she asked.

Robin did want her to but why should she put his wonderful family through the grief? It wasn't their fault he was a jerk. _You can't choose family..._

"No, Rogue." Robin said in barely a whisper.

When Rogue stopped, Robin hopped out of the jeep through the roof and went up to him, "Okay, show me."

Jacob nodded and soon he morphed into a hamster. Robin held back a laugh. _What a lame power! At least when I got my powers they were awesome!_

"What?" he squeaked, "I didn't get to choose my power!"

"He's, like, so adorable!" Kitty cooed from the jeep.

Kurt and Evan were too busy dying with laughter to even say anything. Rogue just sat in the front with an amused look on her face. Robin bent down to look right into Jake's hamster face.

"Jacob, I don't want anything to do with you. You're a liar and the worst person I've ever met. Who do you think you're dealing with? This isn't the old computer geek Robin that hung out with you all the time and complained about her little brother. This is Robin Sparks, the X-Man...Or woman...but the point is I've started a new life, Jake, and you're not invited to this one." She whispered venomously then back flipped back into the front seat to make the point that she had changed, "Let's go."

And with that, they sped off towards home.

"Okay, Pietro, you've already asked her to meet you here and you're totally prepared to dump her...if we're together that is..." he ran a confused hand through his silver hair and closed his eyes in frustration and heaved a sigh.

He was waiting under the tree they always met under in the school yard. It was pretty secluded and most kids didn't like going so far away from the school's main building so it was the perfect place to meet without either the X-Men or the Brotherhood knowing they met. The tree was in bloom and so there was a beautiful blanket of red flowers under the tree and a slight breeze.

Robin was trying to get away from the herd of friends she had made at Bayville so far. It seemed that every time she escaped her friends or fans, another would pop out of nowhere. When she was trying to make a mad rush for the door, Ray blocked her path.

"Hey, Robin; It seems I can hardly get a hold of you these days." Ray said with a sheepish smile, "What with you being promoted to the actual X-Men team and all..."

"Hey, Ray," she said seeming very distracted. She was late to meet with Pietro already and the flood of students flowing down the hall was blocking the clock on the wall that she wanted to see. "Do you know what time it is?"

Ray looked at his watch but tried to keep his mind on the mission. Posters were going up and flyers were circulating for the Fall-Winter dance coming up soon and he knew Robin would be getting a truck load of offers.

"It's 12:20. I wanted to talk to you about the Fall-Winter dance...you're on the committee right?" Ray asked smiling nervously, _Idiot! Keep your eye on the prize - you're asking her to the dance, not asking what flavour punch they'll be serving! _

"Yeah, if you wanna help swing by the gym around 3:15 and I'll hook you up with a job." She smiled politely and started pushing around him.

"That's not really what I wanted to talk to you about." Ray said as Robin said hello to several people she passed, "Uh – you're going right?"

She smiled quizzically up at him.

"Well, of course you're going." He chuckled. "What I wanted to ask is if,"

Robin's eyes lit up and she hopped on spot excitedly for a moment, _so that's what Max wants to talk to me about! He's going to ask me to the dance! _She smiled at her thought.

"I'm kind of in a hurry, Ray but I'll see you later. Gym, 3:15 – remember. Later!" She said jogging off into the crowd.

"Well, that couldn't have possibly gone much worse." He said to himself as he watched her push her way outside. "But, where's she going in such a hurry?"

That's when Ray started pushing his way behind her. Somehow he figured he couldn't just ask her where she was going right now; it required some of the surveillance skills he and the other recruits were learning.

Robin spotted Pietro standing under the tree with his eyes closed and his fingers laced through his hair as the wind lightly blew it away from his face. Robin could feel her insides getting warm. She sped up and dashed towards him then tackled him to the ground into the bed of red flowers.

"Robin," Pietro gasped out as she lay on his chest with their faces only centimetres away from each others. He could feel her light breath on his face.

"Hi." She whispered with a grin.

Ray saw the scene with his own eyes and then rushed off to find the other X-Men. Was Robin conspiring against them with Quicksilver or was she infatuated? _Either way...this is bad... _Ray thought as he high-tailed it away.

Robin and Pietro now stood face to face under the tree. They were both quiet, simply enjoying each other's company. It was nice for them both but Pietro knew it would soon turn for the worst. It was something he had to do, though. He needed to get rid of this weakness or his father would think of him as weak...unless he met and liked her. She _was_ a mutant like them, after all...

"So, Max, what is it?" Robin asked softly as she leaned into him to rest her head on his chest.

His breath stopped in his throat as he wondered how he'd muster the strength to break the heart of the only other living being he cared for. It would be convenient to rid himself of the distraction and weakness of always having her in his head but again...he liked it. He liked the way she could take his mind off anything and the way he wanted to defy his father's orders just for her and the way she smiled and leaned on him and talked to him and made him laugh and...She was perfect for him.

"I was wondering if you could come to dinner with me and my father this weekend." He found himself blurt.

"Oh, I'd love to!" Robin laughed happily, _Of course I'm going to have to think of an excuse to get me out of the X-Mansion that night but I'm sure Amara will cover for me if I do have to sneak. One dance with Roberto at my hand and we're great friends..._Robin thought with a smile as she swayed from side to side.

Pietro's shoulders sagged as she flung her arms around his neck and he spun her around. How was _he _going to get his ever busy father _Magneto _to go to dinner with a girl he'd never even heard about...? Pietro wanted to bite his mouth...but that was kind of impossible so he settled for cursing inwardly.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

When Robin walked into the X-Mansion several nights after, there was a brilliant smile on her face and nothing bothered her. She floated around doing chores, going through training and even taking up Amara's clothes that were flung around the room without a complaint. To be honest, Logan and Professor X were kind of worried.

"I don't know what's up with her." Logan said in his naturally husky voice.

"Yes, it is quite perturbing but I believe that everyone is entitled to their happy moments." Professor X said reasonably.

Ray began to back away from the wall where he was eavesdropping to be faced by three sharp metal claws when he spun around. He gulped as he slowly looked up at Logan's scowling face.

"Do you need something, Ray?" the Professor asked.

Ray hesitated before shaking his head timidly. Logan regarded him levelly then retracted his claws and began to walk away.

"If there is something of importance, Ray, you know you can always tell me." The Professor encouraged.

Ray swallowed, "It's about Robin..."

Logan knocked on Robin's door to ensure that she was at dinner with the rest of the mutants. She was; but the room door was locked.

He turned to Kurt, "Time to get to work, fuzzy."

"I don't veel goot about zis, Wolverine." He said as he teleported them into the room.

"Would you rather Robin hangs out with one of the Brotherhood?" He growled.

"Vell, no. But ve don't know zat she is yet." Kurt said standing off so that Logan could get to sniffing.

He sniffed the air cautiously then took up a shirt she had worn the previous day which had been flung over the side of the laundry basket. It had three very strong smells: the first being cheese snacks, the second, perfume and the last was extremely strong – Quicksilver.

"It's Pietro." Logan told Kurt then put the shirt into his leather jacket.

Kurt looked away sadly and said to himself, "I vas afraid of zat."

Robin floated into Professor Xavier's office and smiled sweetly at him, "Hello, Professor X. How can I help you on such a lovely day on which I was called to meet you here, in your office?"

The door shut behind her as she ventured closer to the Professor's table and when she turned, she snapped out of her mood. Standing by the door were Kurt and Ray and Logan stepped out of the shadows to stand beside The Professor.

"What's going on?" She asked immediately snapping out of her good mood and feeling ambushed.

"Please have a seat." The Professor offered gesturing to the chair in front of his desk.

Robin sat cautiously expecting to be immediately strapped by metal bands to the chair. She felt her breathing get shallow. This wasn't good. She felt like she was in a court of law.

"Robin, I need you to answer the questions I am about to ask honestly." said her judge, the Professor, with his rather intimidating Bailiff Logan, at his side.

She was being sworn in on the witness stand without a lawyer at her aid and with the jury quietly behind her. She felt so afraid but she didn't know why. She felt her eyes start to burn slightly and the tears were hot behind her eyes. It brought back memories she wanted to forget. This was bad. She only got into this state of panic when she was in some seriously deep sh,

"Robin?"

Robin's head flew up and her eyes met the Professor's for a moment.

"Will you tell the truth?"

Robin looked at her lap where her hands were shaking and nodded quietly. She could feel Kurt behind her, willing her to stay calm and the silence from Ray hit her hard.

"Have you been spending time with Pietro Maximoff?"

Robin's eyes widened in shock and fear the returned to their normal size. She was still looking at her lap. She hesitated.

"Robin?"

She shook her head slowly.

"Listen, kid, this is serious. You need to tell us the cold hard truth." Logan said slamming both his fists onto the desk top. "Have you been sneaking around with Quicksilver or not?"

"No." Robin whispered.

"Robin, are you sure?" The Professor asked.

"Yes." She hadn't taken her eyes off her lap.

"I'm disappointed to hear that, Robin." The Professor whispered.

"Kurt, you say Pietro and her have had several encounters before?"

Kurt was quiet then sadly said, "Yes."

Robin closed her eyes.

"And Ray, you say you saw them together under a tree at school?"

"Yeah." Ray said.

Robin closed her eyes more tightly in an effort to keep back tears but one by one they fell onto her hands and left their mark. As if to call another witness, The Professor turned to Logan.

"Exhibit A." Logan pulled out one of her shirts she had worn to meet Pietro for a small lunch under the tree once. They'd eaten several of her favourite cheese snacks, she'd worn her favourite perfume and she'd sat in Pietro's lap and leaned on him the entire time. It was one of her favourite memories.

"Where'd you get that?" Robin whispered shakily, realizing her defeat. She knew she and Amara always left their room closed.

Kurt shifted uncomfortably and she spun to meet Kurt's eyes. Her tear-stained face greeted Kurt who felt his stomach wrench.

"You Traitor." She whispered venomously then her Uncle's face flashed through her head. She gripped the side of her head in pain. Kurt's face blurred into her Uncle's and her uncle's into Kurt's and suddenly they seemed like one in her mind. "You Traitor!" she screamed at him then leapt at him, punching at his chest.

Logan pulled the crying girl off Kurt and avoided the volts of electricity she sent flying wildly through the room as she cried.

The Professor tried hard to calm her down with his words but she wouldn't stop and so he had to make her faint.

As her body drooped in Logan's arms, Kurt looked at his friend's face. Though she was unconscious, it seemed like her tears kept flowing. Kurt lowered his eyes in shame as his lips contorted.

"Kurt," The Professor began but he was gone in a puff of gray smoke.

Ray stood alone behind the chair, "I'll take her to the infirmary."

"Nah, you won't be able to manage her if she wakes up on the way but you can absorb the electricity so come with me." Logan said as he put Robin over his shoulder and started out of the room.

Professor turned his wheelchair so he could look through his large glass windows. He put his hand on his chin in thought.

"I think it's time to find out a bit more about Robin's past." The he headed off to get Cerebro.

The Professor sat in deep concentration with the three most vital people at the moment in the room. Storm, Jean and Kurt were the backup plans. Jean would keep her asleep while The Professor probed her memories but if she woke up and was unstable as she was all the times she'd awoken before, Storm would help redirect the electric volts and Kurt would get everyone out if it was getting too serious.

The Professor had called her mother and had so far found out that Robin was an adopted child. Her mother had died during child birth and her father shortly after from attacks saying he was a wizard. The Professor figured he had an active X-gene. She was in the custody of her Uncle until he put her up for adoption believing something from a dream where an old lady had appeared and told him the child was a witch.

Robin's adopted mother told him she had been a very unhappy child at first and that she had a fiery temper and was forever on a short fuse. After she was given a technologically related hobby, she cooled down.

The Professor, however, sensed another event which clouded her mind and wanted to know exactly what it was and how it had affected her.

"Everyone brace yourselves and be ready." He said right before he began to dig into her memories.

He saw many happy times with her adopted family, many fights with her younger brother, too much time in front of a screen of some sort, times with a male friend who kissed her then rejected her, times in Japan at a company her father ran, nights she cried herself to sleep missing her father, times she wondered about her real family all till it led back to a time that had a lot of swirling emotions when she was in and out of the court room which she hated, times her uncle seemed to fear her as a four-year-old girl, and times he called her a witch.

Then there was this one short moment in which they were in the office just a few days ago. He saw how it all swirled back into the court room and when Kurt and her Uncle's face morphed into one another's until they were just one person in her mind.

He came out of her memories and found beads of sweat dotting his face and hers. She struggled momentarily and her eyes began to flutter until Jean put a hand to her temple and stretched another towards her, causing her to fall asleep.

"This young girl has been through a lot." The Professor informed all those in the room as he took off Cerebro. "For now, I'll give her a few more days off from school; I'll call the Principal and let her know. Therapy should help but for now," he turned to Kurt, "I think it's best you stay as far away from Robin as possible – until she returns to normal, that is."

"But, Professor, vhy me?" Kurt asked.

"She's confused, Kurt, and I know she's your friend and you want to help her but staying away is the best way in which to help her right now." The Professor explained.

Kurt lowered his head in shame and wished Logan had asked Kitty to help him get into Robin's and Amara's bedroom.

"What's happening?" asked a groggy Robin as she sat up and looked around the room. There was no unusual reaction until she spotted Kurt.

Her face twisted and her brows knitted as she let out an angry scream and sent a strong bolt of electricity right where he was. He was gone in a moment and she returned to her groggy self, then fell back down onto the examination table, leaving a gaping hole in the sterile white wall.

Kurt played the scene through his head over and over: the look on Robin's face, the hurt, anger and disgust in her eyes. The lightning was supposed to kill him. He could tell; but luckily, it hadn't. He got updates on how she was doing from everyone else who was allowed to visit but he hadn't seen her since that moment.

Kurt leaned his pounding head onto the cool vending machine and closed his eyes for a moment. He was so sleepy but he'd been up every night because the scene played through his head every time he closed his eyes. His soda was in the collection bin.

"Hey, slow boy." Came a voice.

His head shot up and there was Pietro standing in front of him with _his_ soda in hand. Kurt glared at Pietro. This was _his_ entire fault! Couldn't he have just stayed away from Robin? Then none of this would have happened and he and Robin would have still been the same great friends.

"You live at that dump, right? How's Robin. Your other dumb friends won't say a word to me." Pietro said at his usual fast speed.

"And vhat makes you ting I'll tell vew anythingg?" Kurt growled beginning to move off.

"Cause, a little Kitty told a friend of mine you and Robin are good friends." He grinned.

Kurt kept on walking.

"Or _were_." He said.

Pietro found himself backed into the wall and held by the throat of his collar. Kurt's eyes flashed and his teeth were clenched and bared.

"Vew don't know anything." He tried to convince himself, "You don't care about anyone but yourself."

The reverse now happened and Kurt was held against the wall.

"Don't you ever say that!" Pietro growled, "I'll get to see Robin, whether you like it or not."

Then Pietro was off and out of sight.

Later that night, the alarms blared through the X-Mansion at around mid-night, waking up all the students who hoped a rat had just bitten through a wire again.

"Nothing is on the scanners." Jean told the Professor.

"Nothing on the cameras either." Scott reported.

"Then it's probably, like, nothing _again_." Kitty said rubbing her eyes.

Logan growled from where he was leaning on the wall, "Your fancy technology might not pick something up but something doesn't smell right." Then he was off.

The Professor knew it was Quicksilver but it was also possible that seeing him would be a good thing for Robin.

He was heading to the infirmary right after breezing through Robin's room so the Professor knew he was searching for her. He'd gotten glimpses of their relationship in her memories and it seemed Quicksilver really did love her and she loved him back.

Pietro got to the room and spotted her on a white examination table where she lay hooked up to several machines monitoring her brain and heart.

He leaned over her and smiled at her peaceful face. He didn't like the suction cups all over her face and so gently pulled them off and leaned down. He pressed his warm lips to hers and she opened her eyes slowly. She shot up into sitting position and hugged him happily. He was there with her. She felt herself begin to cry for joy. He was _there_.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's notes**

This chapter was deliberately this short.

**Chapter 10**

"They'll be here soon, Max." Robin whispered to him as she still held on tight.

"I know," Pietro sighed wondering what to do.

"I don't want you to leave." Robin choked out as her tears began to change from joy to sorrow.

Pietro put his hand gently onto the back of her head and laced his fingers through her unbelievably soft brown hair. He bit his lip. He wanted to kiss her again.

"Max…" she whispered as she pulled away and looked into his eyes, "please don't leave me here."

Pietro felt his heart rent when he saw her tears. He never knew anything could hurt him so much, and it was something that wasn't happening to him. He used his thumbs to wipe her tears away as he held her face in his hands.

"Please, don't do this to me." He whispered, "Don't…"

"What? What am I doing?" she tilted her head to the side in curious wonder.

"You're crying. Please stop."

Robin managed a small chuckle, "That's a weird request."

Pietro pulled her back into his arms, "I'm leaving."

"Where are you going?" Robin asked morosely.

"I'm going to visit my Dad for a while, okay? I want you to stay here and not to forget me."

"Why does it sound like you're going to be gone for a lot longer than a few days?" Robin asked softly.

He looked away and had a breath caught in his throat. He almost choked on the tears he tried to hold back, "I love you. Never forget that."

He leaned into her and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips before she was left sitting there, feeling more confused than ever but the fact was that he was gone and now, she was all alone again. She wanted to resent him, to hate him for leaving her, but she couldn't. She hated that.


	11. Chapter 11 1 Year later

**Chapter 11 – One Year Later  
** The bolt of lightning spilt the truck in half before it could crush the group of people standing around watching as the truck flew towards them. Each half fell on either side of the throng then there was a great scattering.

"A girl's work is never done." Robin said smiling to herself.

"Need help?" asked Ray, her boyfriend of two months who was with her family on vacation in Switzerland.

"Nah, Babe, I got this one." She said winking at Ray then jumping so that her snowboard turned forward and so that she could slide down the mountain towards the area of panic.

There was a freak magnetism incident where all types of metal were attacking the ski lodge they were staying in. Robin figured it must be the infamous Magneto's doing but she also figured he wouldn't show his face. Professor Xavier warned them about Magneto and how dangerous he was but Robin figured that now that she was a seasoned X-Woman, she could handle a little bit of flying trucks. There was also the matter of her guardian angel.

It seemed anytime she was in trouble she would magically get out of it in less than a split second. At first she thought that it was Pietro but she'd given up hope of every seeing him again and had given in to Ray's constant asking and been with him. She was happy with Ray but she knew she wasn't in love with him. He was cool but just not for her. She'd gotten used to Ray by then and just stayed with him because it was a safe relationship. It was nothing like the rocky road she and Pietro had to endure because the X-Men approved and the Brotherhood could care less.

When she got there, her heart was in her throat. Levitating in a sphere of circling trucks was Magneto himself. She felt paralysed as she brought her snowboard to a stop on the mountain. She was seeing Magneto in the flesh. When his head turned to her direction, the fear gripped her heart. He was dangerous and was moving towards her.

"I'll be seeing you soon." Said his commanding voice before all the trucks fell and she found herself standing alone.

Was that entire ruckus he caused just to get her attention and tell her those five words? Why was it so important to deliver that one message? And why to her? What was so special about her for him to be doing all this?

She hopped onto the lift that was going to take her back up to the top of the mountain. It wasn't a short ride. There was another snowboarder on the lift with her. She put her goggles onto the top of her head, pulled down the turtle neck covering her mouth and breathed into her gloves.

"Hi." Robin said smiling at the guy.

He nodded and kept his head turned away from her. He was wearing goggles and a beanie similar to her own. No part of his face was visible. She saw a bit of hair poking out from the back of his beanie hat. It was a familiar shade of silver. She furrowed her brow.

"Hey, do I know you?" the guy turned to her, pulled down the top of his turtle neck, kissed her lightly for just a moment then jumped down from the lift and kept on riding.

"Max." Robin whispered looking back as he went down the hill. When she turned back around and looked up at the top where Ray stood coolly by himself waiting for her, she knew what she had to do. It really had to be done but she didn't want to do it. Ray just wasn't the one for her and now that her Max was back…she had to do what she knew was right and save herself for Max.

Robin ran to hug Kitty after what seemed like forever. It was finally after winter break and her last semester in high school. They hadn't seen each other for a few weeks. It was a giant reunion after the few weeks they had at their homes. Scott was the only one left at the institute but Robin had gotten a chance to travel to Switzerland with her little brother, mother, father and boyfriend.

Kurt and Rogue stepped into the room and Kitty and Robin separated. They stood aside as Rogue and Kitty ran to greet each other.

Kurt and Robin regarded each other for a few moments then started circling each other. They narrowed their eyes at each other. They both pushed hands into the bags slung over their shoulders.

Rogue and Kitty stood aside watching in amusement as souvenirs were ripped from the bags. Kurt and Robin ran into a huge hug. Then they exchanged souvenirs.

"This is so cute." Robin smiled at the tiny hula collectable doll, "Now if you get me a car with a dashboard to put it on, I'd flip."

Kurt laughed, "And you can get me some crackers to go with this cheese wheel." He grinned at the cheese wheel that was bigger than his head.

"Right." Robin said as they hugged again.

Robin started unpacking her suitcase. Amara hadn't arrived from her trip to Paris just yet though. As Robin put some new outfits into her closet, she felt the presence of someone else.

"You know, my boyfriend wouldn't like you kissing me."

"So, you have a boyfriend now?" he asked.

"Yeah, and I'm sure he'd be rather upset you were in here."

His arms wrapped around her shoulders from behind and he rested his chin on her head, "He should know that he was only holding on to you for me."

Robin laughed, "Right and I'm sure you're back for me now."

He held her more tightly, "Forbidden fruit is the most tempting." He whispered, "You've definitely grown. It seems they are teaching you something here."

"Because I felt you here?" she inquired.

"That and the way you move has changed."

"Oh, how so?"

"You're movements, your use of power…it's all better – more confident."

"Well, my _boyfriend_ lives here."

"How do you think he's going to take it when you dump him?"

Robin chuckled, "Who said I plan to?"

"Oh, you will. I guarantee it." Then he was gone.

Robin smiled to herself. She put her hand over her lips when he was back to kiss her. She stared into his gorgeous brown eyes. He winked slyly and was off again in a second.

"I told him that Ray wasn't going to like this." She whispered to herself sliding the closet door closed.

Amara stepped into the room and so they began to meet and greet again. It was a huge hug fest at the Institute.

"I was thinking that maybe you, Ray, Roberto and I could double date this Saturday." Amara suggested as they continued to unpack their belongings.

Robin stopped mid fold on a pair of shorts. She knew she and Ray wouldn't be together by this Saturday. He had invited her out later that night just to have a walk after dinner and she was going to break the news to him then.

"Uh – Saturday doesn't sound too good for me." Robin said turning away to put the shorts into her drawer.

"Okay, how about Friday night then?"

Robin drew in a sharp breath and shook her head slowly at Amara. Amara stood there with her hands on her hips as she regarded Robin with a mischievous sparkle in her brown eyes.

"If you and Ray want some alone time and so don't want to double then you can just tell me." Amara teased.

Bobby overheard that part of the conversation and paused in the hall. He wasn't eavesdropping… he was just overhearing a conversation… a juicy conversation. They were whispering now so Bobby made an ice cup and put one side to his ear and the other side to the door.

Robin lowered her voice to a whisper, "Listen, Amara, I didn't want anyone to find this out before I told Ray but I don't think it's going to work out between us – I mean, I owe myself true love but with Ray and I…I'm just not feeling it. Promise you won't tell anyone but I plan to break up with him."

Bobby started to move off immediately. He knew he wasn't supposed to have heard what he'd just heard but what type of friend would he be if he didn't tell his best friend that his girlfriend was planning to dump him and telling her roommate before him?

"The only reason I'm telling you is because I need to tell you why we won't be able to double anytime in the near future."

"I understand." Amara said quietly, "Gosh, poor Ray…"

Robin was in the danger room with Ray monitoring the action for her while she trained. No one should be in the danger room without proper monitoring.

Robin was breezing through all the supposed _challenges_ Ray was sending at her. She just then figured she should have asked Kurt. At least Kurt wouldn't take it easy on her just because she was his girlfriend…because they weren't together.

"C'mon Ray, let's go! This is easy work." Robin smiled towards the control panel.

"Okay, Baby, you're asking for it." He smiled then went up two levels when Bobby stepped in.

"I've got something to tell you." He whispered.

"Kind of busy right now…" Ray said gesturing to his girlfriend busting up the level in the danger room by herself.

"This is really important. I overheard Robin telling Amara that she was going to dump you tonight after dinner." Bobby said hastily.

Ray laughed, "Right, Bobby, trust me. Robin and I are doing fine together. Our relationship is better than ever. She invited me on a _family_ vacation and her family _loves_ me. Trust me; I'm in the safe zone."

Bobby sighed and ran a hand through his brown hair, "No, you're not, man. I heard it with my own two ears."

"What did you do, put an ice cup to her dorm?" Ray asked sarcastically.

"That's not the point," Bobby said, "She's going to dump you but if you don't believe me, suit yourself."

"C'mon, we both know Robin isn't the kind of girl to gossip to her friends about our relationship before she talks to me about it. She's cool like that."

"Fine. If that's what you think." Bobby turned to leave.

"Hey, listen here, stop making it sound like you know Robin better than me because you don't, Bobby so just stop with all this bull!" Ray was angry now. "Who are you to be telling me about my relationship? Go get a life."

Bobby was taken aback but just shrugged and kept his cool. He shoved his hands into his pants pockets and shook his head.

"This is what I get for trying to be a good friend, huh? Some friendship." Bobby scoffed then left the room, "Just don't come crying to me 'cause the first thing I'll tell you is 'I told you so.'" He said from down the hall.

Ray swung back around to watch Robin as she flew about on electric discs and sent volts of electricity flying. She was able to get almost any guy she wanted and why would she stay with him forever? He was lucky to get two months of her life. He knew it wouldn't last forever but why would she break it off now, when everything was perfect?

_Unless everything isn't as perfect as I think… _Ray thought to himself. He figured he'd find out tonight whether or not Bobby was trying to be a good friend or just being a jerk.

At dinner, Ray tried to make eye contact with Robin but it seemed her eyes were avoiding his at all costs and several times in the dinner when everyone was talking to her, she'd just zone out then come back in a few seconds. Why was she so distracted? It reminded him of the time she'd liked Quicksilver but he had been gone for over a year now… then again, his father had been around at the ski lodge and she had kept looking back down the mountain on their way into the lodge as if she'd left something behind.

As Robin laughed at something Jamie had said, Ray moved his hand over onto hers. Her napkin conveniently fell at that point and she moved her hand to go get it. Why was she acting so strangely? In their two months of dating, Robin had never allowed him to kiss her and she never liked quiet romantic dates. She always liked their dates to be busy and action packed so they hardly had time for each other.

Come to think of it, Robin treated him just like she treated Kurt and Jamie. _But she calls me Babe,_ Ray reminded himself reassuringly.

"Right, Babe." Robin said smiling and shagging up Jamie's hair.

_Oh right, she calls all her close guy friends Babe._ Ray remembered.

So what _really_ was the difference between their relationship and Kurt and hers? The only difference was that Robin called herself his girlfriend. All these weeks, Ray had never noticed the only difference in their relationship was that she called herself his girlfriend.

He found himself standing in the next moment. He firmly held on to Robin's wrist. The entire table fell silent and looked at him. He then realized his expression was that of pure rage and confusion. He changed his demeanour and asked the table to excuse him and Robin.

When they arrived outside, they stood in front of the well lit fountain but Ray wouldn't let go of her hand as if, if he did let go, she would run away and leave him forever.

"Do you have something to tell me, Robin?" he asked calmly.

Robin looked away and bowed her head, "Who told you?"

"Listen to me, Robin, I love you and nothing can ever take that away. I'd die for you in a heartbeat but if you aren't happy with me then I can't feel happy with you being unhappy." Ray told her as he held both her hands in his.

Robin felt so confused. Why couldn't life be easy? Why was she breaking the heart of one of her best friends? Why did she feel like crying even though she knew it was the right thing to do? Why was she feeling so down all of a sudden?

Ray gently lifted her chin and leaned in for a kiss. Just one and he'd feel okay. Robin almost felt like she owed him at least a kiss. Just one. As he got closer, Pietro's face flashed into her head but his lips were almost where hers were. She turned her head quickly and his lips landed on her cheek.

The hurt in his eyes made her stomach twist in guilt and she began to feel nauseous and like she was about to pass out. She flung her arms around him and gave him her most sincere hug. After this, living together in the X-Mansion was going to be extremely hard. She stepped back and gave him a small smile but he couldn't even muster an upwards tilt of the corners of his mouth. He held her hands up to where his heart was now barely beating and slowly let them go.

They were parted by a large flying sheet of metal about 7 feet in height and width. It forced them to jump backwards. Robin back flipped out of the way as did Ray in perfect synchronization. Their eyes connected and they both shot the metal with electricity charging it and giving them control over it too.

"I told you we'd meet again, my dear Robin." Came Magneto's voice. "This time though, you're coming with me."

Ray found himself surrounded by metal objects circling him quickly but smoothly. He was calm though. His only thought at the moment was Robin's safety. They were at different ends of the front yard now.

"I promise I won't hurt you or your friend if you come with me." Magneto said descending before Robin.

Robin's hair was out of its usual bun and strayed all over her face and head. She was breathing deeply. She had to concentrate on what was best for her and Ray's safety. Ray had taken a stance within the circle of metals but he was clearly out matched.

Magneto was now there, standing in front of her with the charged sheet of metal making a wall behind her.

"You are the perfect addition to my team. Come with me and mutants will rule all human beings like it is rightfully to be." Magneto said.

"No. Never."

"Sad to hear you say that." He said and all the sharp metal objects pointed straight at Ray. If he sent them flying, Ray would be Swiss cheese.

"If I come with you, will you leave the X-Mansion and never come back?"

Magneto smiled but because of the shadow covering his face, Robin only saw a glimpse of teeth, "Good choice."

"Don't go, Robin! He's a liar!" Ray shouted.

"Ray, that's one thing about you! You never know when to shut up!" Robin shouted angrily. Couldn't he see she was trying to save his life? Cheese! A little bit of support would be good.

"Robin is right, you are in no position to speak." Magneto said, "Let us go, my dear."

"Take me as your prisoner, Master Magneto." Robin said bowing humbly onto one knee and holding her hands in a way that he could handcuff her. She knew that's the only way she would let him take her away and the only way Ray could tell the Professor that she was willing to go.

Magneto made solid metal cuffs for her hands and feet and levitated away with her. She glanced back at the X-Mansion feeling that it was the last time she would be seeing it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Robin sat alone in a metal room strapped to a chair. She didn't struggle, nor did she move. She simply waited on Magneto to enter the room. When he did come in he had an old lady with him that fit the exact description her uncle always spoke of. This was the witch that ruined her childhood.

"It is her." The old woman said when she saw Robin.

"After all these years, I finally have her." Magneto smiled, "It took longer than I thought that dumb uncle of hers would to put her out. To think he went through all the trouble of having her adopted. Why didn't he just rid himself of you, my dear?" he now spoke to Robin.

Robin held back her hurt and anger. One day, she would release it on him but for now, it would be smart to simmer and let him feel as if she was on his side. One day she would have revenge on him for ruining her childhood.

"Let's get you a new identity. Robin is such a plain and unimaginative name and your appearance is rather blasé for your extraordinary power. We must re-invent you."

Robin admitted that the outfit Master Magneto was putting her into was rather sexy. She wondered if it was a strategy to distract their enemies. She liked it though.

The costume was shiny bluish-silver and tightly fitting. It consisted of a dress with a hole at her bosom and her navel connected to a little cut off above her mid thigh with boots that went up to her knees with a long cape in a bluish colour which is what her outfit shone. She wore a warrior looking silver helmet which came down the sides of her face and allowed one to only see her face while a bang was swept over her left eye and coloured the bluish-silver the rest of her costume was.

"Your new name is Sparks and only Sparks. Your one duty and mission in life is to serve me and your one aim is whatever my aim is at the moment. Is that clear, Sparks?"

"Crystal." said Sparks who knelt before him.

"Good." He smiled, "Now it is time to meet your partner."

There was a quick flash of silver and Pietro soon stood by his father's side. His eyes widened at Robin who knelt before his father. His eyes nearly fell out of his head when she stood and he could see her entire ensemble. He was speechless. She was gorgeous. They were both shocked.

"Son, meet Sparks, your new partner. As you both control the Brotherhood house, I can expect your relationship to become intimate but if you should be a couple, if there is any show of weakness, I will snuff it out. I'm your Master and my word is law. No hesitation if I should tell either of you to kill the other. Make the Brotherhood into something." Magneto instructed, "Perhaps they will be of use to us during the war."

_War? What war?_ Robin wondered to herself.

"Won't the X-Men try to take me back if I attend Bayville High?" Sparks asked.

"They will but you are mine now and so they are your enemies. Treat them as such." He said.

Sparks bowed one more time and headed towards the door. Magneto asked Quicksilver to stay back with him.

"I'm sure that Xavier will want her back but he won't force her so just make sure she stays in love with you and stays with the Brotherhood. If it becomes exceedingly difficult for her, this will solve the problem." Magneto pulled a bluish-silver choker out of his pocket and gave it to Quicksilver, "It will help her feel more comfortable with her new identity."

Pietro eyed the device suspiciously. He hoped it wouldn't hurt her. Magneto dismissed him and so he was gone in a moment.

Sparks made herself at home in Mystique's former room. It was large, spacious but occupied.

"Who are you?" she asked the blonde.

"I'd ask the same thing."

"Out of my room," Sparks told her with a serious expression on her face.

"Your room?"

Sparks sent a bolt of lightning right at her and she grabbed her things and started heading out of the house, "I know when I'm no longer welcome." She left and Fred was asking where she was going.

"Bye Fred." She said pinching his cheek.

"Bye Tabitha." Fred replied.

As Sparks lay on her bed, she stared up into the dark thinking about all her friends at the X-Mansion. She loved them, that's why she had to stay with Magneto. She knew they could possibly manage Magneto if they all worked together but they would no doubt get hurt in the process. It was best they just forgot her. She would be happy once she had Pietro… she hoped. Another thing that scared her was the thought of killing him. How on earth could Magneto expect her to do that? She had to act completely faithful and maybe even forget her friends to make her act completely believable. So one by one she thought of her friends.

Scott. Rogue. Evan. Storm. Jamie. Beast. Amara. Kitty. Ray. Kurt…and one by one, she let them go. She had to.

There was a knock on the door. She wiped the tears she hadn't noticed were there, away. She took a look in the mirror before announcing that whoever it was could enter.

She found herself sitting on the ground in between Pietro's extended legs with his arms wrapped around her shoulders. He moved so fast. The door was closed and they sat in the dark.

"How is it?" he asked.

"What?"

"The change in personality and everything – meeting my father…"

Sparks shook her head and leaned into him, "I hate it; but I have no choice but to do it."

The next day, Sparks felt definitely ready to face all her friends at school. She stepped into class early that morning. She knew that Kurt was the only x-man in her French class and was exceedingly greatful. She was heading for the seat next to him when she caught a glimpse of bluish-silver hair. She was Sparks now.

She sat at the back of the classroom in a corner by herself. How was she going to convince everyone she just _looked_ like Robin?

"Robin!" Kurt said joyously wrapping her into a tight hug.

"Uh – do I know you?"

He laughed – a sound she missed greatly, "You are a silly one, Robin. Did vew tink that new hair colour would fool me? I know vew better zan zat."

Sparks' heart broke as she pushed him away, "Listen, kid, I don't know who you are."

"Robin, it's me – Kurt."

"My name is Sparks." She remembered Magneto's face – he'd kill them if she didn't follow orders. Logan, Storm and the Professor could probably handle him but who could tell if they'd make it in time? Magneto could pop out of no-where and send a sheet of metal flying and end Kurt's life right there if she admitted who she was.

"Robin – is zis some kind of joke?" he smiled quizzically at her.

"You tell me, freak..." she whispered sitting down and burying her head in her bag looking for God knows what.

She took a few deep breaths. She couldn't do this. She knew she couldn't. When she looked up, Kurt was already far from her and their teacher had entered the classroom. She had to wait till class was over.

As they all flooded out of the classroom, she saw Pietro waiting in the distance and knew she couldn't talk to Kurt without him seeing so she whispered, just loud enough for Kurt to hear...

"Help me." Then she turned and walked to Pietro

Had Kurt really heard what he did? He turned to look for her – it _was_ Robin. He had given up hope when she'd called him a freak but it was _her._ She wanted help. She was already down the hall and beside Pietro.

"Jean!" he called when he saw her up the hall, "I think I've found Robin."

"So?" Kurt asked as he stood over Professor Xavier who was wearing Cerebro and searching for Robin.

"She's alive. I have traced her to the woods but Pietro is there with her. She thinks she's protecting you all from Magneto's wrath." The Professor explained, "She needs our guidance. Jean, you and Scott go rescue her. I think Storm should accompany you in case Magneto chooses to show himself."

"We're on it Professor." Jean said turning away to get Scott and Storm. She paused, "Don't worry Kurt, we'll have her back here in no time."

"So, why take me to the woods?" Sparks asked Pietro.

"It seems like this whole Sparks thing is getting kind of difficult for you."

"You have no idea." Sparks said lowering her eyes.

"Well, I've got something for you that will make it better." Pietro stopped walking and pulled the necklace out of his pocket.

"It's gorgeous but I doubt it'll make the real me anymore comfortable with pretending." Sparks told him. "But it's worth a try."

Pietro latched the necklace on to her neck. Her eyes lit up blue for a moment and she stood up straighter than a soldier. She was dazed for a while and soon her eyes returned to normal but everything else about her seemed to change instantaneously.

"I see now," she said quietly, "Now I see everything."

"Do you feel any better?" Pietro asked with a warm smile as he reached out to put a hand on her shoulder.

Sparks slapped his hand away. Her head turned and cold bluish-silver eyes stared back at Pietro. That's when he realized she wasn't the same. There wasn't even a semblance of the warm Robin anywhere. Pietro then realized he'd lost her.

"Robin?"

"My name is Sparks and I expect you to call me nothing different." Sparks said almost robotically.

"Let me just take that off...Sparks." he said cautiously as he reached for the necklace.

Sparks slapped his hand away, "Don't touch me."

"It's Max – remember? All those times we walked together and,"

"You only got involved with me because the Brotherhood urged you to - in order to get me on your side." Sparks said coldly.

"That's true but that was all a mistake. I really do love you, Robin."

Sparks' head slowly turned towards him and her eyes flickered back to brown and he saw the hurt in them and a tear began to form, "Liar." Then her eyes turned back to bluish-silver and she sent a volt of electricity flying at him. "And my name is Sparks."

It missed, of course, but Pietro got the message – they were obviously over. He needed to remove that necklace. She wasn't being rational. She was acting like a robot. His father did this... He was off in a quick flash of silver. The X-Jet landed near Sparks in the clearing her lightening had created.

"What did that necklace do to Robin?" Pietro asked as he flung the door to his father's study open.

"It robotified her." Magneto answered simply.

"What? You said it would make her life easier!"

"And it did. She has no more emotional ties holding her down so she can freely serve me."

"But – now she doesn't love me!"

"And? We have no more use of your services in that department. The necklace will keep her from turning against us. The best minions are either hopeless or robots and since she still felt hope, I removed all her emotions."

"I can't have her around without her being herself Dad..."

"Now that her emotions are gone, she can serve at my right hand! The advantage of my little device is that she holds all her past memories but emotions no longer decide her actions unless its rage or resent. Wait...when did you start caring about anyone other than yourself?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Jean, Scott and Storm surrounded Sparks. She stood completely still, weighing her options in a computer-like manner. Her eyes flickered with sparks of bluish-silver electricity.

"I don't want any trouble," She said looking directly at Storm, "Ms. Monroe."

"Robin, we can help you." Storm said calmly.

A smile slowly crept onto Sparks' face. It was a smile that gave Scott an eerie feeling. He glanced over at Jean who was looking rather perturbed.

"My name is Sparks." She said slowly then sent a huge bolt of lightning right at Scott's heart and because he wasn't paying attention, it hit him. There was a scream of agony and a burnt Scott fell to the ground.

There was a thick tube of electricity and, in place of Sparks, was a burnt out patch in the ground. Storm and Jean ran to Scott's aid. He was badly electrocuted. As they lugged his unconscious body back to the X-jet, Jean looked back at where who she knew as Robin was standing. She may have had an attitude problem but she could have killed Scott. That was when Jean knew that Robin was gone and Sparks had taken over...

Kurt sat on the ledge of the balcony of Robin's former room with his knees tucked under his chin as he stared out over the city. He missed his friend but somehow, he knew she wasn't gone. That girl in his class _was_ Robin and he didn't care what anyone else said – not even her herself.

Jean hadn't gotten Robin back like she had promised. She'd actually come back with an injured Scott and a broken spirit. Kurt remembered what she told him when she'd stepped off the X-jet with Scott in tow levitating in mid-air...

'She's gone, Kurt. I don't know where she is but that girl today –she wasn't Robin.'

"Robin," Kurt whispered clutching a small shell Robin had picked up at the beach and given to him, "I know vew're out there and by my word –I'll get vew back here."

There was silence and the wind blew across his face, causing his navy blue hair to block his vision partially. There was a familiar laugh on the wind. Kurt sat up straight and looked around, trying to find her. Robin was there. He'd heard her laugh.

"Robin?" he called softly, standing up and looking over either side of the balcony, "Robin, vhere are vew?"

"Kurt..." the voice whispered softly in the wind, "Help me Kurt...save me –please."

"Robin? ROBIN!" Kurt saw a figure standing below the balcony and dove over the edge then teleported in mid-air to where it was.

It was only a bush. Kurt shouted out in agony and began pounding the bush.

Amara had heard Kurt shouting to himself and saw him beating up the bush now. Tears burned her eyes as she turned away from the balcony window and looked at Robin's empty bed. Her eyes swam in tears, and for the first time, she missed having a roommate.

"I'm worried about him." Amara whispered to Kitty the next morning as they watched Kurt slump around the kitchen to gather things for breakfast. "I think he's taking this Robin – Sparks thing a lot harder than the rest of us..."

Kurt poured a bowl of cereal and milk then played around in it for a while before getting up to pour it into the trash.

"I know – they were, like, closer than siblings." Kitty said sadly, "It's totally sad."

Sparks closed the room door behind her and sat on the ground, leaning on the door. She put a tacky hula doll on the ground in between her legs and touched it gently then watched its torso rock from side to side. She felt something whenever she saw that hula doll dance. She didn't know what it was but she felt _something_. She liked the feeling.

She felt moisture on her cheek. She lifted her hand to the water on her face and took it off. A tear. The tear drop fell and touched her necklace. There was one spark, then another and her eyes flickered on and off; from blue to brown and back and forth.

She knew that she had bathed with the necklace and nothing had happened to it but now...it was sparking.

She reached up to pull at it but there was that ever present force pushing against her hand. She reached closer than usual now. Tears. Those were her key out! Unfortunately, she couldn't produce many. So she would just have to get them from elsewhere...

He cowered against the stripping ally wall, crying hysterically. Who was this...monster? She's shot lightening from her fingertips at him and now had her fingers pointing at his temple. His mother...his fiancée...his life was flashing before his eyes.

His tears ran down his face and she put a small bottle below his chin where all the tears had formed a bonnet and were dripping into the bottle. She smiled in a strange way and when his tears stopped flowing, the freak disappeared into oblivion.

He gripped at his chest and tried to calm himself.

"I need your help." Sparks said leaning on the door post of Pietro's bedroom.

He looked up at her with his steel gray eyes. He couldn't bear seeing that expressionless face.

"What's this?" he showed her a newspaper cover with the title 'The Tear Stealer', "They've got a pretty keen description of you in here – you've been in orphanages scaring children and chasing men into allies?"

"Are you going to help me or not?" she asked.

Pietro watched as a flicker of Robin came back into her eyes as they changed momentarily to brown.

There were tears galore here. Pietro put Sparks down as they stopped at a funeral. She smiled smally then took out the small bottle. It was almost filled with tears now.

"Get just enough tears to fill the bottle. Don't let even one spill...or I'll kill you." And to Pietro's surprise, Sparks' eyes were brown as she said this.

He sped off and collected tears from the crying people by the grave. When he was back by her side, the people were already dispersing. There was just one person by the grave sitting on the ground.

Sparks approached the young girl who had a steady stream of tears still flowing. She stood there coldly and stared at the girl.

"Why are you crying so long? Everyone else is already leaving." Sparks said, unable to see the logic.

The girl looked up at her and there was a spark in her eyes as she saw Spark's outfit.

"You're the tear stealer, aren't you?" she asked quietly.

"Yes." Sparks said, "Aren't you afraid?"

"No." The girl said turning back to face the grave.

"I could kill you right here and now." Sparks told her.

"But it wouldn't really make much of a difference, would it?" the girl whispered, "I'm only one person. People die all the time. Before you do though...I've gotta ask – why didn't you steal my tears? I've been crying none stop for days. I have a permanent headache."

"I've got enough." Sparks told the girl.

"Oh," the girl said then looked past Sparks at Quicksilver, "Is he your boyfriend?"

Sparks lowered her eyes and there was a flicker of brown, "Not anymore."

"Why? Did you steal too many tears?"

"No."

"Did he hurt you?"

"Yes."

"Well, did he apologize?"

Sparks lowered herself to the ground beside the girl. "Yes."

"Then why not go back to him?"

"What he did was unforgivable." Sparks said, her eyes brown for the entire period of time.

"He's sorry. Forgive him or he just might die and you'll never get another chance. I know you want to. I can feel it. I'm a freak like you. I feel for others and he's feeling really sad right now – even if it doesn't show on the outside." The girl said. "If you ever need tears again – just look inside. You've got a multitude deep inside you. I'll always be roaming so if you ever see me again – let me know how you turn out."

The girl stood to her feet and slowly walked away. Her clothes were torn and tattered and the only thing she carried in her hand was a tattered teddy bear.

Sparks went up to Quicksilver. He looked into her eyes. She looked into his. She took the bottle from him and took the cover off the drenched her neck, sticking some of her hair to her neck in the process.

The necklace sparked violently but Pietro didn't move. She'd just thrown away over a month of work! What was happening to her? Her eyes flickered from blue to brown and back and forth. Her breath was cut off and she clutched her chest and fell to her knees.

Pietro grabbed the constricting necklace and pulled as hard as he possibly could. It was so tight, his fingers were pressing into her neck.

She gasped for air. Her strength was slowly fading and Pietro could see her life slowly slipping out of her grasp. He began to cry as he pulled frantically at the necklace. She was dying...and it was all his fault.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Pietro watched helplessly as her brown eyes filled with tears and she started to take her last breaths. A pair of giant pliers came out of nowhere held by two fuzzy blue hands. It cut the necklace off and left Robin gasping for air.

Pietro let go a sigh of relief. Robin was brown-eyed and cut on the neck but she was alive. Kurt knelt down next to them. His eyes smiled more than his lips possibly could.

Robin gathered just enough energy to toss her arms around both their necks, gathering them into one simultaneous hug. She was so happy she couldn't speak.

"There's going to be a scar but she'll be alright." The Professor told Pietro and Kurt who were pacing eagerly in front of the X-Mansion's infirmary door.

"Can we go in to see her now?" Pietro asked eager to hug her and kiss her deeply.

Kurt nodded smiling, eager to talk to Robin too.

"I think you guys will have to wait." Scott said as he limped into the hallway. He was bandaged around the chest.

"What are you doing out of your bed?" Jean asked stepping into the hallway to find Scott standing there. She ran in front of him.

"I'm going to go see Robin." He smiled smally.

Jean's expression was indifferent but she stepped aside and let him limp into the room.

Robin's eyes were sleepy-looking as she used the oxygen mask. She could hardly move. When Scott stepped into the room, she wanted to give him a long and heartfelt apology but she had to keep the mask on.

"Sorry." She forced out.

He smiled. "That wasn't you so don't worry." He sat at the edge of her bed.

She held on to his hand and smiled behind her mask.

"This is going to be a battle – a big one... Magneto obviously wanted her serving him or dead." The Professor said to Logan, Storm and Beast.

Logan grunted, "If a fight's what he wants, we'll give him one."

"No, Logan. We must approach this situation with vigilance." Storm cautioned. "Magneto is a very powerful mutant."

"What do you suggest, professor?" Beast asked, turning to the bald man who stared pensively out the window.

"I suggest we give the children a fighting chance...Logan, can you please take Robin, Kurt, Pietro, Kitty, Rogue, Scott and Jean somewhere where you and Best can continue their training safely?" Professor asked turning his chair around so he could face him.

"Take Quicksilver?" Logan was obviously against it. "He may give away our position to Magento."

"Not if he knows how much danger Robin is in." Professor said confidently.

They all exchanged glances – all thinking the same thing; would Pietro's love for Robin possibly cause him to betray his father.

"That selfish kid would sell her for a soda if his father offered to pay." Logan concluded.

"Then, it's your responsibility to protect her. Take Pietro with you."

"Thanks for never giving up on me, Kurt." Robin gasped out before kissing him on the cheek.

"Aww...it vas nuting Robin. I knew it vas vew all along." He smiled.

"Can we get a moment now, please?" Pietro asked, leaning against the post of the door.

Kurt held on to Robin's hand and slowly released it as he walked away.

Pietro stepped forward. He sat on the edge of the bed and gently put his hand against her cheek. It sent tiny volts of electricity through her body. She put her hand on his and snuggled into his hand.

The X-jet swooped down and landed in the only clear space. It was almost dark by the time they got to the woods in Russia.

Logan and Beast gave the kids instructions and very soon, the camp was set up. There was a bonfire in the centre of a few logs. All the kids and Beast sat and told stories and laughed and made smores while Scott and Logan went around, seeking to secure their perimeter. They used motion sensors and trip wires – the works to ensure that if anything or any_one_ was approaching. They'd know long before they got within meters of the camp.

Kurt and Robin had their arms around each other, drinking bottles of water and pretending to be drunk. They sang on the tops of their voices in an off-key manner as they entertained the other mutants.

"And once I was a swaggly pirate with buck-eyes and one tooth!" they sang getting up and dancing like imbeciles.

Jean and Kitty laughed. Rogue raised an eyebrow at the pair then shook her head with a tiny smile playing on her lips.

Pietro sat on the farthest log from the happy bunch and sat with one leg extended and the knee of the other tucked under his chin as he stared off into the dark forest. His eyes were stone-cold and his silver hair blew gently in the wind. Robin glanced over him and thought to herself how sexy he looked. She gave her bottle to Kurt and had him continue their show.

She knelt on the log behind Pietro and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Pietro didn't move. His eyes were still focused intently on the forest.

"What's on your mind?" Robin whispered.

Pietro didn't speak immediately. He held on to her arms and took a deep breath.

"I only came for you." He said quietly.

"Are the guys not warming up to you?" she asked, "Don't worry, about it."

"It's not that." He interjected, "I only came here for you but I know how things will turn out already."

"Ve're heading in now." Kurt said popping out of nowhere.

"We'll be right in, Kurt. Keep Max's sleeping bag warm for him." Robin said smiling at him.

Kurt eyed Pietro with a suspicious glance, gave Robin a salute and poofed away.

"What do you mean by that?" Robin asked bending her neck around so she could see his face.

"Nothing." He said getting up.

Robin sat back on her ankles and looked at him as he headed for the boy's tents on the left side of the X-jet.

"Good night." He said not even looking back at her.

"Night." She replied quietly.

A light wind blew her brown hair into her vision. She pushed it behind her ear and stared off at Pietro's back.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Eeep!" squealed Kitty as the water passed through her, "Hey!" she shouted as Kurt surfaced and shook his blue fuzziness.

Kitty was on the stony bank of the river with a magazine and Kurt was the first to cannonball off the higher section of the waterfall.

"Sorry Kitty." He said with a sheepish smile.

"But, I'm not!" Robin said just in time to soak Kitty and her magazine.

Kitty sat on her lounge chair with an incredulous expression on her face. Robin grinned at her, spitting some water out of her mouth – fountain style.

"Oh, you asked for it!" Kitty dove into the water and splashed Robin.

They started splashing each other. Jean watched with a quizzical smile on her face. Then she heard a voice from above.

"Hey, Jean!" it was Scott who was now at the edge of the higher part of the waterfall. He waved. Jean waved back and watched as he dove in perfectly.

"Ten!" she called as if holding up a judging card.

Pietro sat afar off, staring into space pensively. Scott spotted him and swam over to near where he was.

"Hey, wanna come in?" Scott asked in a friendly way.

Pietro turned to look at him and narrowed his eyes at him, "If I did, I'd be in the water." He replied bluntly.

Scott didn't push the matter anymore but swam off in the direction of the others.

When Pietro went away to run one of Logan's many routine checks with him, the group discussed his behaviour.

"I honestly don't see what it is..." Kitty said to Robin as she used her fluffy purple towel to dry out her hair.

"If you got to know him you'd understand." Robin said with a small smile, "He's just – going through something right now."

"Vell, I still don't trust him." Kurt said as he climbed out of the pool.

"Want me to talk to him? Believe me; I _know_ how weird guys can get." Jean said.

Scott double-took, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"No, it's okay. I'll talk to him." Robin said.

"Shh...Here he comes. Everyone act natural." Kitty alerted.

Robin went over to where he was taking up his things from the smooth stones of the river bank. She smiled at him. He didn't even acknowledge her.

"Hey, want to take a walk?" she asked him.

"A walk sounds nice. You can tell me what you guys were saying about me." Pietro said as if nothing was wrong.

He took her hand and led her off into the woods, being careful to keep within Logan's limits. Robin liked it when he held her hand. It felt so safe and caring. So much like the inner him he hardly let other people see.

"So, what were they saying?" Pietro asked.

Robin sighed, "Can't we just enjoy the walk for a while more?"

"No." Pietro said.

"Okay, fine. Something's up and we're all concerned."

"You're all – or you're concerned and they're just wondering what Magneto's spoiled kid is being so moody over?" Pietro asked.

Robin pressed her lips against each other, '_That's a pretty accurate evaluation.' _She thought, "What is it, Max?"

"Magneto's eventually gonna find us – you know." He whispered.

"That's why we're still training – so we can stand a fighting chance against him and,"

"You don't get it." He cut her off, "Be realistic. He's smart. He's going to know better than taking us all on at once."

'_Us..._' Robin thought with a smile.

"He's going to pick us off one by one even though he could easily take us all on at once. Why? Because he's an expert at mind games." Pietro said.

"We'll make it through it, okay?" Robin asked giving his hand a tiny squeeze.

"I don't care if anyone makes it through – you're the only one I care about. You've got to make me a promise, okay?" he turned her to face him, his eyes were cold and serious, "If Magneto shows up I want you to put yourself first. Don't try to be the heroin. If he's about to kill me - or anyone else – run."

Her eyes widened, she couldn't even _imagine_ doing that to him – or anyone else, "No, I could never-"

"Don't be stupid!" he said shaking her vigorously, "You have to do this... I can't let you die." Then she saw some tears begin to gather at his bottom eye lid.

She wrapped her arms around him. He sniffled – trying to fight back the tears. He couldn't look like a pansy – crying in front of her!

"Max, no matter what – we'll make it through it – and if you die...then who's going to be there to protect me?" she whispered.

It was a month later, on a regular Tuesday morning when everyone was brushing their teeth in the X-jet bathroom (not one of the most comfortable experiences considering there was only one sink...) that there was a huge jerk.

"O crap! What was that?" Rogue asked in her Southern accent.

"Colossus." Pietro said, "We gotta get outta here!" he grabbed hold of Robin's arm exited the bathroom with her in tow.

Everyone exchanged confused glanced until there was another violent jerk. Rogue grabbed onto Kitty and they sunk through the floor and outside. Jean and Scott held on to Kurt who teleported them outside.

Outside they saw Colossus pounding the X-jet and Pyro standing beside him, ready to incinerate anything in his sight.  
He grinned evilly, "See, Colossus? I knew if we rocked the boat enough we'd catch a few sea-rats."

He said nothing more before unleashing a stream of fire from his – whatever it was.

Beast and Logan were nowhere in sight.

"Pyro, let's not get into it with them." Colossus said eyeing Scott who has read energy circulating round the rims of his sunglasses. "We come in peace." He said holding up both hands and reverting to his less shiny human form.

Pyro scowled but his flames retreated into the flame-thrower on his back. Colossus turned in the direction of Robin and Pietro.

"Magneto says he will give you three more days to come back to him or he will destroy the x-men starting with Nightcrawler." Colossus' deep voice rumbled.

Robin paused, "How will I find him?"

"He says he will find you." Colossus said stepping back next to Pyro. Before anyone else could say anything, Pyro's flames wrapped around the two and they disappeared.

Robin sighed and her head fell, "I'll never escape."

No one said a word to comfort her because they all knew it was true...


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

She opened her eyes slowly. She blinked up at the unfamiliarity of the night sky.

Her clothes were torn and her now red hair hung before her eyes. He stirred beside her and she reached over to touch his warm side. Rolling over, he looked at her and smiled smally.

"Who are you?" she asked.

He smiled. "I'm Antique."

"Who...who am I?" she inquired, cocking her head to one side curiously.

His smile dimmed, "I wish I could tell you, my dear." He sat up, rubbing his grey, dirty heavily bearded chin.

"Where are we?"

His lips tightened, "We're on a cay near Bermuda."

"Do you at least know how I got here?"

"You washed ashore a few days ago. You had a nasty bruise on your head...that must have caused your amnesia." She looked confused, "Your loss of memory."

"Antique...what a strange name."

She sat up slowly, the chain around her neck clanked, and she reached down to try to read it, but it was too dark. "I can't see it."

Antique reached across and gently pulled it over her head. He ran his hands over it...

"Your name is Robin."

"I don't think so..." she said sitting with her head hanging.

"Well, your name certainly isn't Pietro..." he laughed.

Something about the name caused her heart to skip a beat. "Pietro...Max..."

Antique leaned forward slowly, so she could see his dark grey eyes in the light of the moon, "You're remembering...Perhaps in a few days you'll be able to know where you came from..." he handed her her chain.

She lay back rubbing the chain between her fingers, hoping she'd be able to remember...praying she could find Pietro.

Professor stared out into the gloom of a rainy day when Jean stepped quietly into the room. She folded her arms over her chest nervously.

"Professor..."

"I know what you're going to say Jean," he said levelly, spinning his chair around to face her, "but we were left with no choice."

"But...wiping her memory and dropping her off at an airport with only a passport and a new hair colour?"

"We had to. Magneto would have found her and made her into his ultimate weapon. If she had any idea what-so-ever she was a mutant, she would have been an asset. Without that knowledge, we're all better off..."

There was an awkward pause, "Did you remember to remove all remnants of this life?"

Jean hesitated, remembering how Robin clung to the dog tag Pietro had given her in her unconscious state and how she had allowed her to keep it when she had let her off at the airport.

"Yes," she lied.

"That's good, because one piece of evidence from this life and she would begin to remember it all."

"Is zat what you did wiv Robin?" Kurt said, pulling himself and Kitty through the wall next to Jean.

Kitty stood like a deer in the headlights, "Well, like, umm, will you look at the time?" she sunk quickly into the ground leaving Kurt with the Professor and Jean.

"Kurt, I understand your concern, but,"

"But what, professor? You were afraid of Magneto?"

"She, was afraid of Magneto." Jean piped up, "she asked us to make it all go away. She no longer wanted to remember any of us...she wanted to disappear..."

"And you just let her?" Kurt was obviously angry.

"She's with a friend of mine. With her as a blank slate, he'll be able to make her into the fearless warrior she was born to be."

"But she won't be Robin anymore!" Kurt shouted.

"Her last request was to be renamed Robin Sparks..." Jean smiled, "And she also had another request..." Jean handed him a picture.

He looked at it, Robin was mounted on his back and had him in a headlock, grinning like an idiot while Kurt stuck out his tongue and spread his arms. It was from the night of the party when she had just arrived. On the back was written 'Robin + Kurt forever!' Sighing, Kurt believed it.

Antique looked off into the distance, remembering Professor Xavier's requests.

"Robin Sparks...do you like that name?" he asked the girl who now stood by his side.

"Sure...I guess." She shrugged.

"And, would you like to come with me to Spain?"

"Spain?" she asked.

"Yes. You have much to learn."

She smiled, "I look forward to it."


	17. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Robin sat at a table outside of her favourite cafe in Spain talking to her associate from France in perfect French. Just then, there was an earthquake. Her associate ran off. It was chaos.

She looked over and saw a tall rugged man whose eyes were over-turned so only the white showed. Mutants...they were tormenting every country in Europe. She had been told by Antique on her 22nd Birthday that she was one of them, but she never used her power unless there was no electricity and it was an emergency.

A toad man hopped onto a table and started flirting with some blonde woman. Robin shook her head as she packed up her things. There was a quick flash of silver which took the money in the cash register.

"Simple minds..." she muttered, shaking her head.

Quicksilver observed the crowd panicking and running from here to there. There was this one calm red-headed girl in the midst who slowly packed her things. She span to face him. Their eyes made contact.

"Robin?" he whispered.

She scowled.

It couldn't be. Robin's plane had disappeared in the Bermuda triangle years ago. He had finally accepted her death and had given up his search three months earlier. The psych meds were just starting to work again, and now he was seeing her face?

"Pietro! Let's go!" A huge hulking blonde man with a Mohawk shouted, holding the door open for him.

"Pietro?" Robin muttered.

The quick flash of silver was out the door again in no time. She shook it off, gripping the chain which hung around her neck. Pietro was her son's name. It had been on that chain... It was a mere coincidence.

"Robin!" Adam shouted running toward her, his glasses almost falling from his nose with sweat.

"Adam, what are you doing here?"

"I heard they were attacking your favourite cafe and," he was out of breath.

She smiled at her husband's sweating face, "Did you check on Pietro?"

"He's fine. Still at his grandfather's house."

Robin shook her head, "He hates that title, call him Antique." She insisted, calmly walking towards her car. "Let's get going, Kurt and Kitty are coming over for dinner later and they're bringing their daughter for a play date."

Adam hurried behind her, his blueprints almost falling out of his bag.

Robin was never forgotten by the x-men, nor by Pietro, and all but Kurt, Jean, Kitty and Professor Xavier thought she had died when her plane disappeared.

Antique gave the professor regular updates on her progress until Robin had decided not to use her powers and she settled into an interesting life as a technology expert who functioned in Europe from her company's main head quarters in Japan.

Kurt became Robin's friend when they met coincidentally on her trip to Germany with Adam for their honeymoon. Robin didn't remember Kurt but he was happy to be able to become a part of her new life.

Pietro stayed with the Brotherhood and now the group regularly goes on raids in order to sustain himself and his high psychiatry bills.

Magneto gave up his search for Robin after scouring all of Bermuda and its surroundings and coming up with nothing because days earlier Antique had taken her to Spain.

That night at dinner, baby Pietro burped up fire after dinner. He had the x-gene too. Adam fainted and Robin hid a knowing smile, reaching over to stroke his brown hair, she whispered, "That's ma boy!"


End file.
